On the walls of the White house Oval Office, photographs of memorable events are hung. They are always updated with new ones every two weeks. But since three years there remains the picture of a five year old boy touching the head of the first black President of USA – Barack Obama. This picture, as his wife Michelle explains it, was shot from White house itself. In the picture, the President is bend by 900 from his waist and a small boy is touching his head as if a great Guru is blessing his dearest disciple. According to the story behind this picture, a Whitehouse staff with his wife and two children one day came to meet President Obama. When the President approached the family, the youngest of the boys, raised his hand as if trying to touch somewhere on the face of the President. A little confused, Obama wanted to know what he meant. The boy said that he wants to know if his hair also is the same as that of him. Obama instantly bent his head well low saying,
“Why don’t you touch and know it for yourself?” The boy touched his head and shouted in joy,
“Yes it is the same.”
The White house sees this picture as a signature photo of the times, which shows the change that USA has gone through during the past 150 years. One and a half centuries back, the White House was full of slaves; now it has only Masters.
I see this picture from a different perspective. According to me, it is the picture of a small enthusiastic boy, who anxiously yearned to know the differences between an average human being and a real hero. This boy got convinced that he also is built by the same elements. I wish, if this picture would be reminding everyone the fact that we don’t generally use many of the available machineries within.
Joseph Mattappally
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