Today

Unlike my other posts, this blog will not contain photos or stories about my family. I felt compelled to write about the inauguration and my personal feelings and thoughts. I will admit that I didn't plan on watching the inauguration today. Then I though, why? Out of spite? On principal? I did not want to be that person. While I may not agree with Obama on most of his policies, I am called as a Christian to honor my leaders. He has been entrusted to lead this country and I have to believe that he has our best interests in mind. Just because our views on how to achieve those interests differ greatly does not make him a bad person or a bad president. In so many ways I truly feel sorry for him. So much has been placed on his shoulders that it will be impossible to live up to it all. He will fail in more ways than he will succeed, as do most presidents, but in his case it will mean more for some reason. While I think the race issue is actually a non-issue, it has become THE issue. I don't care whether he is black or white, red or yellow. What I do care about is what he plans on doing while in office. However, most of the country has put their hopes and dreams in a man based on his skin color, at least in part. But that is for another post I suppose. Right now I am kind of taken up in the moment. Regardless of who is being sworn in today, it is the beginning of a new era for our country.

The media has taken it upon themselves to keep race as a focal point. Almost every person they have done close ups on this morning has been a person of color. Why? Aren't there plenty of white folks out there who are just as excited wbout Obama being sworn in today? I am fearful of the next four, and most likely 8 years. I believe so many of the problems we are facing as a nation have been caused by the exact same kinds of policies that Obama wishes to institute. But I also have to have some hope. If I sit here complaining and harping on this administration I am simply adding to the problem. I have become what I despise. If I want change I must make it myself. But how? I don't know at the moment. But I will figure it out. So as I listen to our now 44th president give his acceptance speech, I feel proud. Proud of this nation, proud that we have the ability to change our circumstances and proud that we have the freedom to speak our minds. I heard a quote recently in a movie I can't recall that said, you don't have to agree with your government, you just have to believe in it. And I do. I am blessed to live in this country, blessed to have the freedoms I do, and I believe that our government has the ability to make this country even greater. I know for so many people this is a big day and I respect that. So, let's move forward and do what we can to make things better. I think it really comes down to each person doing what they can. One man cannot change the world, but we as a nation can change things dramatically, so let's get out there and do it!! As Obama just said, the world has changed and we must change with it. But let's not change so much that we forget who we are. We are a country founded on freedom, founded on the belief that the people of this nation have the ability to make this country great, not just the president. So let's put some of our hope in Obama, but most of our hope in ourselves.