Inauguration Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday's inauguration.  I followed most of the ramp up on the radio, then switched over to CNN.com and when my stream couldn't keep up, I joined my colleagues in the conference room where everyone was watching it on a big projection screen.  It brought back memories to the last time we all sat around at work glued to the TV; it was September 11 almost eight years, and an eternity, ago.

The pageantry of the whole event was interesting and probably really not all that dissimilar from a coronation in a Monarchy.  I enjoyed Obama's speech; with his subtle yet distinct rebuke of policies of past administrations and with his stress of our responsibilities (rather than of our perceived rights).  Not quite as explicit as Kenedy's "what you can do for your country" yet invoking the same idea.  And while it may have gotten lost amidst all the prayer and god-invoking, it was great to hear him list non-believers as members of America's patchwork heritage.  Overall, he continued with the themes he consistently ran his candidacy on and what he expanded on in "The Audacity of Hope".

My favorite part wasn't the speeches and performances, but rather the people assembled on the mall.  A kaleidoscope of faces representing all areas and walks of the country.  While seeing the energized young was great, the really touching part for me were the old people of color; the Tuskegee Airmen, the aging Civil Rights fighters and all those who clearly could remember when they would "not have been served in a local restaurant". I'm very happy for them and for the rest of the country.

And so I'm thrilled that we, once again, have an adult in the White House. I'm glad that my daughters will picture Obama when they hear the word "president".  And I hope that he'll live up to the expectations that people are placing upon him.