I was getting a little perturbed on my fourth day trying to go through my morning routine and having it bombarded with secret service, overwhelming traffic and street closings more than openings. I tried to take the bus and had to get off. The Subway was too crowded. Walking was the only option but even that was challenging as every block within a four block radius of my office was limited to sporadic foot traffic only when a motorcade was not en route. I tried to bat my eyes at the secret service and say that I could act like part of the entourage if they would just kindly let me through. No luck. By the way, who coined the phrase secret service? They are anything but secretive! When I finally made it to my building and up the elevator to my office, I looked across and there were three snipers staring me straight in the eye from the Waldorf's rooftop. Well it felt like they were staring at me. The entire four days of mayhem have been a little unnerving, especially being literally in the line of fire.
But what I try to continually remind myself is that the people protecting our leaders and our leaders that are being protected deal with this every minute of every day. Furthermore, the inconvenience is inconsequential to the larger implications of why they are all here in the first place. The UN General Assembly is an important piece to the preservation of our future. For those who missed President Obama's speech, I urge you to read the very words that he so eloquently delivered yesterday morning. They are words all of us should keep in our memory as we do our part in our own communities to work together to understand and respect one an others differences. After reading the words myself, I welcome the motorcades and barricades, the sirens and the secret service. All of that means that our leaders are working together to keep us safe and our future in the horizon.
Read President Obama's speech to the UN General Assembly at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/23/obama-un-speech-text_n_296017.html.
