The President on His Place in History

At the end of the day, we’re part of a long-running story. We just try to get our paragraph right.

--Barack Obama

Update: More in the same vein, from Obama's speech at the LBJ Presidential Library last April, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act:

You are but a relay swimmer in the currents of history, bound by decisions made by those who came before, reliant on the efforts of those who will follow to fully vindicate your vision.