….the fifth of November….the day a black guy became the 44th president of the United States of America and the people of the World experienced a truly tangible sense of hope for the first time since another utterly compelling and personable young man with vision took centre stage as the most powerful politician on Earth way back in the 1960s. That man,as I’m sure you know (or possibly even remember) was John F Kennedy and he too was a  charismatic figure capable of capturing the hearts and minds of billions of people across the world just as Obama has done over the last few weeks.

Of course, it’s Bonfire Night here in the UK as well and my daughter,delighted by Obama’s win, thought she might be able to spell out the letters “B” and “O” for “Barak Obama” using a couple of sparklers while I took a photo on a slow shutter speed. However, she couldn’t quite manage to trace the “B “and the “O” side by side at exactly the same time…Well, I guess it’s not as easy as you might think and although our sparklers were really bright, they were far too short-lived….but then I suppose you could say at least the thought was there as she did her level best to celebrate, in her own little way, a day that I know millions of young people just like her in countries everywhere are sensing as truly momentous….and not just in terms of American social and political history, but with regard to the social and political history of the world for possibly decades to come….Let’s hope they’re right!

(Copied across from my 5th November diary entry on www.wildliferanger.com)