Saturday I occupied Chicago. Marching through the streets felt good, but not great. The day was disappointing for two reasons.

Foremost, you were not there. It was nice to hear honks of support and cheers from the sidelines, but it would have been better if you were marching with me.

Our grandparents and great grandparents worked hard to build this nation with the expectation that their offspring would have a fair share.

Yes, I know, my generation has cellphones, computers, fancy clothes and television; but the cost of a college education is rising, the quality of a public education is falling, we are going to work – if we can find it – longer in our lifetime for less, and our children are facing a bleak future.

The second cause of disappointment was that the core occupiers Saturday were not the 99 percent, but the other 1 percent.

When the occupiers stopped in front of the Congress Hotel for an anti-war rally (since it was 10 years and a day since the start of the Afghanistan War) they lost me. With the exception of a young Palestinian girl and an Iraq veteran, those who took the stage either had no point or their message was extreme.

And that is why Occupy Chicago needs people like you. The chanted mantra of, “tax the rich” and “end the wars” appeal to the majority of Americans, but there needs to be leadership that can move Occupy Chicago to the next step.

There is not much time until the next election. My advice for the occupy movements is to think and act locally. It is much easier to change the politics of your city and state than it is the United States. That said, it is true that most of the things that need changed are in D.C., but the movement does not have the power for that yet.

Become educated, be patient and build results so this movement can grow. A movement for the 99 percent of Americans is needed and should not flame out like the Tea Party.

Although the occupy movements are what democracy should look like, too many people are still shackled with the chains of complacency. Shopping, drinking or staring at the television is bliss enough for them. It is good that the early stages of the occupy movements are being used to wake people up, but you have to wake them with a kiss on the cheek, not a slap across the face.

We are still very lucky to live in the United States. I know my involvement in the occupy movements is not because I hate the U.S., but because I love it so much I believe it can be better.

See you in two weeks Occupy Chicago.