Political headline after political headline — before, during, and after November 4, 2008 — still read a dime a dozen. While that’s not to take anything away from the new President or the significance of the political shift on Capitol Hill, I do have to say that there is still more room for improvement around here.

Although President Obama has much to be praised for and although he has already garnered criticism for acts undertaken since assuming the Oval Office, I think before we can draw solid conclusions, more time needs to pass.

In the meantime, I have one question: why does it seem that America is waiting for Barrack Obama to change it? Why can’t America change America?

These are just a sampling of headlines I pulled from CNN: “Will Obama have to be better because he’s black?;” “‘Americans are not your enemy,’ Obama tells Muslims;” “U.S. celebrates as President Obama vows new era” or even “Press Review: World hails ‘United States of Obama.’”

Collectively — and trust me, there are more — they make me glad I am not him.

Americans definitely seem to be holding their breath as they wait to see how this one is going to pan out. But it seems to me that if anyone is going to change the perceptions of Americans around the world, it doesn’t have to come from the top-down.

Why not start a concurrent change working from the bottom-up and meeting somewhere in the middle? It seems like a good idea, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket — or rather, on one particular person in this case. Starting today, ordinary citizens like you could start to make a difference.

If American rapport is so bad, let’s start here at home by being nicer to one another. Maybe once that’s mastered, it can then start moving outward. Remember the stories coming out of New York after 9/11? There were outpourings of niceties, camaraderie and human compassion previously uncharacteristic of New Yorkers.

Why do we need an act of terror or a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina to bring this out? Surely it’s lurking deep inside — somewhere.

In 2002, I traveled to New Zealand, and based on accent alone, my sister and I were treated in a particularly rude fashion. Upon folks discovering we were actually Canadian, our service or quality of care drastically changed. We were in fact being treated better because we were not American. It was hard to believe, but true.

It’s true; America does have a lot to overcome in terms of image and that which is presented to the rest of the world.

However, I don’t think Obama can do it alone. It can’t just come from him. In being more polite and respectful to one another here at home, we can then practice that when traveling — and simply in how we think of the world.

How did things get to be this way? I can’t pretend to be an expert or imagine that I know the answer. Partly, I think it may be the educational system. Lots of times it seems like Americans don’t know very much about the rest of the world.

For example, several times I have heard the provinces of Canada called “providences.” When I say I’m from Alberta, I am often asked, “Oh, is that near Toronto?” Well, no. Actually, it isn’t. Toronto is a city, and Alberta is a province and the two are separated by two other provinces.

Now, I don’t expect you to know things about where I’m from because I think it’s the center of the universe and should be known as such. I just find it strange that you don’t because I know about your country. But then again, I come from a different culture.

I was talking with a friend just the other day, asking about the American school system, wanting to know what you learn in geography and history — our equivalent being social studies. What I learned was that it was very focused on only America.

Throughout grade school, I remember learning the culture of a new and different country every year. For sequential years, we colored maps of North America, labelling the provinces and capitals of Canada, and the states and their capitals of Mexico and the United States. We were required to know.

It’s a big difference between Canada and the United States in terms of learning and behaviors. I’m still trying to quit spelling –or ending words without the –our as it is at home. But, there is also a big difference between America and the rest of the world.

As many of us are watching the new President, either in hopes of success or failure, I still think that if change is to come to America, it has to begin with each one of us — on our own stage — before a new image is going to take flight elsewhere.

— Erin Mastre is a graduate student in landscape architecture from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.