E Pluribus Unum?
Out of many, one.
I spent the entire morning sitting in a dentist's office with Mike, who had to have an emergency root canal after one of his teeth cracked in half last night. The radio in the office was tuned to the inaugural events, though, so between the whine of the drill and instructions to rinse and spit, I heard bits and pieces of Obama's inaugural address.
My thoughts, initially, were centered on his tone of voice. That man has a voice drawn from the history books, evoking a time when our leaders seemed to know something we didn't, and that confidence radiated out of them like warmth. This is not to say that I believe Mr. Obama (sorry, President Obama now) is some kind of demi-god, as it seems some would like to believe (and others assume we believe), but merely that he is a man who has taken service of his country with the utmost seriousness and is truly humbled and moved by the opportunity to serve his nation.
But once I got home and was able to read the full text of Obama's speech, I shivered with goosebumps at the following words:
"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."
I wish I could say that I am not affected by the snarky comments or status updates of some of my friends, and that it doesn't hurt me to see them treating such a serious day in our country with such contempt. It saddens me to hear them claim I have "drunk the Kool-aid", or that my gladness over such a day is not genuine, but merely the byproduct of a herd mentality. I have spent the last eight years in quiet observation of the former President's actions, not always agreeing, and yes, often voicing my frustrations out loud, but never decrying the beliefs of those with whom I disagreed. I am pained by the lack of faith in the people of this country to choose a leader that may not have been their first choice, but has been tested over the last two years of campaigning and found worthy.
I am not a natural optimist, but I work hard at overcoming the tendency to be cynical. It has not always been so.
I hope to see that in the months and years to come, we can truly choose hope over fear, and proclaim an end to petty grievances.
E Pluribus Unum.
Out of many, one.
I spent the entire morning sitting in a dentist's office with Mike, who had to have an emergency root canal after one of his teeth cracked in half last night. The radio in the office was tuned to the inaugural events, though, so between the whine of the drill and instructions to rinse and spit, I heard bits and pieces of Obama's inaugural address.
My thoughts, initially, were centered on his tone of voice. That man has a voice drawn from the history books, evoking a time when our leaders seemed to know something we didn't, and that confidence radiated out of them like warmth. This is not to say that I believe Mr. Obama (sorry, President Obama now) is some kind of demi-god, as it seems some would like to believe (and others assume we believe), but merely that he is a man who has taken service of his country with the utmost seriousness and is truly humbled and moved by the opportunity to serve his nation.
But once I got home and was able to read the full text of Obama's speech, I shivered with goosebumps at the following words:
"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."
I wish I could say that I am not affected by the snarky comments or status updates of some of my friends, and that it doesn't hurt me to see them treating such a serious day in our country with such contempt. It saddens me to hear them claim I have "drunk the Kool-aid", or that my gladness over such a day is not genuine, but merely the byproduct of a herd mentality. I have spent the last eight years in quiet observation of the former President's actions, not always agreeing, and yes, often voicing my frustrations out loud, but never decrying the beliefs of those with whom I disagreed. I am pained by the lack of faith in the people of this country to choose a leader that may not have been their first choice, but has been tested over the last two years of campaigning and found worthy.
I am not a natural optimist, but I work hard at overcoming the tendency to be cynical. It has not always been so.
I hope to see that in the months and years to come, we can truly choose hope over fear, and proclaim an end to petty grievances.
E Pluribus Unum.
Out of many, one.