The Very Audacity Of Hope

I am a literal person; sometimes, a little too literal.  I believe in fully understanding the entire scope of a definition of a word so that I might begin to see the whole meaning of a statement.  To define myself, I would say, "I'm a wordsmith."

It is because of my ongoing love affair with words that I often win in debates and lose in matters of the heart.  Even my horoscope defines my astrological sign as being a "forward thinking humanitarian who is in touch with reality, but seemingly detached from any true love."  Ah, but that is another subject to explore.  For now, let's continue with my love of words. My fascination with word placement and word choice allows me to easily draw a tangent in any conversation; deviating from one point to another and weaving a tapestry of thought beneath actions and reactions.   

You see, in order to win a debate, you must be able to mentally dissect the words that your opponent uses to prove their arguments and then use those very same words to disprove their foundation of thought.  You must be capable of finding fault in the smallest stream of logic within the argument and use it as a basis to undermine their entire basis of reasoning.  You must be able to determine not only that there is a crack in the pavement, but you must be able to also understand where it originated and envision the gradual demise of an entire boardwalk.  Basically, you must be able to destroy your opponent's arguments from within.

This is a masterful skill to acquire and it is used successfully in auditoriums where collegiate debate teams rally, in court rooms where lawyers bid for allegiance, and even on senate floors where lobbyists dressed as elected officials plead and filibuster.  You see, the successful wordsmith is the antagonist behind every "second guess" in history. The successful debater is the one who causes the most proficient planner to pause.   A wordsmith can sometimes unknowingly rub salt in the eye of a visionary only because we are either standing too close to the trees to see the forest or too far from the forest to acknowledge the trees.  So now, you see why this trait can be extremely desirable in one instance and completely undesirable in another?

Well, being the wordsmith that I am, I have taken the time to listen carefully to things that are both said and unsaid in the simplest of slogans.  I look for implied understanding that builds silent allegiance.  I am excited by simplistic duality.  For example, let's explore nothing more than what is implied by the name choice of the book written by President Barack Obama; The Audacity of Hope.

When I first saw the book, I thought to myself, "Wow, what an impressive title!"

I was in a crowded Washington, DC coffeehouse with a friend and business partner when I first saw the pyramid-shaped display.  Immediately, my mind explored all the definitions of the word audacity.  Mentally, I replaced the word audacity with every synonym that came to mind in an effort to gather the potential of what this title could truly imply.  Foolhardy arrogance.  Brashness.  Boldness. Daring confidence.  I was impressed.  As I reached out to pick up one of the books, my eyes met the eyes of the cocky author who had peaked my interest with no more than a title.  "Humph, even the photograph restates the sentiment...", I said to myself.  

Just then, my colleague excused himself and brushed by me as he discovered a nearby restroom.  I took the next few minutes to examine the book for content, continuity, and a restatement of its underlying theme.  Placing it down before finding a table close to the 12th Street intersection, my mind grew excited again as I looked at the title and thought, then, of hope in a more literal sense.  Hope is a funny word.  It can be used as a noun or a verb.  As a noun, hope could mean feeling or heightened expectation.  As a verb, hope could be interpreted as a belief, trust or reliance in a projected outcome.  Again, I smiled.  "Who thought of this title?  This simple duality is enough to make me buy the book... "

Hope is defined as to believe, desire, or trust.  Simply put; hope is a having a notion of an expectant event.  Hope energizes us and presses us toward a final goal.  When I combined the two definitions in my mind's eye, I re-titled the book as Great Expectations and/or Confident Aspirations.  Then, I even considered the negative alternatives and the possible titles of Arrogant Ambitions and/or Foolhardy Trust.  they proved to be equally compelling titles that could be drawn from the true definitions of audacity and hope.  As a point in our conversation, my business partner and I laughed at all the probable titles and the reason that each would work when considering the actions of our elected officials who filibuster in today's Congress.

Later that week, while visiting the home of an old friend, I was handed a bright red box with a white bow.  Christmas had come early.  When I opened the box, the stare from our 44th President immediately caused me to raise an eyebrow.  "How did you know I wanted this book?", I said.  And, as if it were a joke that I had been left out of, everyone in the room said, "Read it; it's almost like sitting in a room and listening to YOU talk...".  I laughed and only shook my head, "The AUDACITY of my so-called friends!  I just HOPE they are right...."

Needless to say, I finished reading the entire book that night.  And, I agree.  They were right.  It lives up to its name; however you choose to define it. 


But, of course, this is just ONE Man's Opinion...  What is yours?