There’s a palpable buzz everywhere that we’re on the eve of something really special; A return to the kind of sure-handed, effective and inspiring leadership in the US that many have never seen in this generation (depending on your take of the Clinton years).

I spent some time on Sunday going through the milestones of Barack Obama. If he does win the 2008 US General Election I won’t be surprised but I will be inspired by the fact that a “skinny guy with a funny name” can take the highest public office in the land. And I’ll want my kids to know that they can too.

This New York Times feature will help me explain that. A great interactive infographic, ‘Milestones’ highlights the key moments of Senator Obama’s relatively young life to date. While his story is special, it’s certainly not any more spectacular than my parents’ or my sisters. (My life is a little more ordinary). And that reminds me for the first time in a long time that we can all, no matter what our beginnings, name, gender, creed or race, achieve great things.