Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Happy, Happy Inauguration Day To You

On every birthday up to a certain age, someone invariably would ask me, "You're 4 (or 7 or 10) do you feel any different?"

And, of course, I didn't feel any different than I'd felt the night before when I was still 3 or 6 or 9 because the essence of being 4 or 7 or 10 can't be compressed into a single day or a single moment.

I was thinking about that today, as our 44th president was inaugurated: We have a new president, do I feel any different?

Well...the truth is that a new president will affect the day-to-day facts of our lives very little in the immediate future.

But...the other truth is that I do feel different and I think that feeling is called hope and I think and believe that the man who was sworn in today along with the team he has assembled around himself, can live up to that hope.

PS--Obama's speech was moving and perfectly delivered and I think that's great because I think a good 65% or so of the presidency is about public relations (at home and abroad), but still the best words I heard all day were on the AP radio feed: "A helicopter carried former President Bush away from Washington toward Andrews Air Force base..."

2 comments:

  1. You are right-- it's a great, yet unusual, feeling. And it's about damn time!! WOO HOO!!!! And in response to your Bush comment, I was also amused at the comparison I kept making to Cheney in his wheelchair and Mr. Potter from It's A Wonderful Life.

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  2. Errrrggg--Cheney. I am ever so glad to see him gone (and, therefore, not to have to see him at all anymore (let's hope)). Good comparison!

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