Reflection 12 of 52: How did it all get so boring?
March 24, 2014
I had an opportunity to see Hillary Clinton live. While celebrity does not easily impress me, I was keenly interested to see this woman who has accomplished so much. Her dedication to public life, international scope and exhausting work with many causes deserves to be admired. As stated in the promotional materials, she traveled to more than 80 countries as a champion of human rights, democracy and opportunities for women and girls. Her talk was about women's issues and international affairs. Both of which should hold my interest. Then, why was this speech dull as dishwater? I may not be representative of the adoring crowd but it seemed like a string of positioning lines, forgettable statistics and safe discourse to me. This is an articulate, bright and worldly woman. How come it felt like hanging beige wallpaper?
Have we created an expectation for people in public life to be
so politically correct and non-confrontation that we now have dialed down
leaders? Perhaps it is better to be risk adverse if you want to run for
president but it sure does not resonate in my universe.
Even if I am not a fan of a person's ideas or ideology, I want
to feel some connection to them. I got that with evangelical leader Billy
Graham. I don't subscribe to his beliefs but I have seen first hand the
charisma and passion of this man. He presence impacted me to the degree I
dreamed we debated religious beliefs for hours on end.
I
don't expect to be wowed by every speaker but I want to feel some kind of
connection...even if what he or she says irritates me. At least, I would feel
something.
My
friend who attended the Hillary event was totally engaged in the Q&A
portion about International affairs. Still, it did not resonate for me.
Perhaps, I have spent too many years seeing positioning lines developed for
people like Hillary. I yearn for someone who strays (even slightly) from the
script and lets me see his or her true self. I want to know what Hillary, with
her vast experience and knowledge, really thinks.
Then
again, I think about Rob Ford and maybe Hillary is right to stick to the
straight and narrow.
What
do you expect from political and community leaders?
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