What a great day. A beautiful day. A new beginning.  Can you feel it? Can you feel the weight of the past 8 years lifting?
With tears in my eyes, I watched the inauguration of our 44th President… “our present” as my 4 years old granddaughter Kennedy says, and was filled with hope, gratitude and joy.Â
It’s hard to believe the hopelessness and despair of the Bush era is over. And despite the mess we’re in economically, and in Iraq, I am so excited about our future.  Obama has a huge task ahead – but he is the man we need to lead us through this…. inspire us to do our part in remaking our country.
And can you believe we get to listen to such an aritculate, intelligent, thoughtful president (with a beautiful speaking voice) for the next 4 years?  We’ve been deprived the past 8 years. I’m so happy I never had to hear GWBush say “nookulur” again.  As a unapologetic word nerd, I am nearly giddy with anticipation for what ear candy we’ll be enjoying throughout the presidency.Â
A few of my favorite passages from his speech:
- “What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them.”
- “America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.”
- “our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please”Â
- “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals”
- “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.”
- “we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect”
I found myself tearing up again as I saw the reaction of the crowds as the first couple walked Pennsylvania Avenue. I suspect I’ll be teary much of the day. And doesn’t Michelle have a fabulous sense of style? Loving watching how colorfully and tastefully she and the girls dress. Can hardly wait to see what she wears tonight.Â
Was there something particular in the day, in President Obama’s speech (he’s our PRESIDENT!!!!!!) that spoke to you today? Anything that moved you?
Oh – and as another sign of hope – my little hummingbird was back today drinking nectar from my pansies. I can hardly believe he survived the last several weeks of bitter cold.
I can’t remember exactly what he said but right at the beginning of the speech he denounced fear and embraced hope. I think he embodies hope–he has so much to accomplish and so much crap to ‘clean up’…I wish him the best. I love Michelle and those girls, I teared up when I first saw them, and didn’t stop. 🙂
They put up an overhead projector at work, so that it played out on the wall. And they turned that row of lights off. When it started, most of us walked over there. When Rick Warren began his prayer, I just felt disgusted and walked back to my desk. Where I stayed. However, I did listen to Obama’s speech in the breakroom. When it was over, everyone in the building stood and applauded. I was somewhat surprised. I mean this is New York. I doubt there was much applause in Utah today. But still, even people I know to be Republicans were applauding, and I understood that some of those displaying such excitement were just excited to see Bush fly away. Now if we could only see him in a striped suit at Guantanamo cleaning the latrine.
Pause…
Anyway.. I too am excited for the possibilities. I still question the wisdom of the bailouts. I certainly think he showed a galling lack of judgement in choosing Rick Warren to give his opening prayer. And no amount of ‘wanting to bring everyone to the table’ talk is going to smooth it over. There are plenty of conservative preachers out there he could have tapped that never ever compared homosexuality to incest. It is akin to asking some white supremist religious nut to pray during the civil rights movement of the 60s. Maybe socially acceptable for the times, but just wrong on every level. That he made that decision and defended it deflated much of my enthusiasm. We’ll see where it goes from here.
Still, the excitement in the air was palpable, and that was nice for a change.
My favorite moment was when Jimmy and Rosalynn strolled in.. I admire them both greatly..
The choice of Rick Warren was disappointing to me, and his prayer was, for me, the only time in the day in which I felt uncomfortable and a bit let down. But I am not letting that one decision mar my belief and hope for the future…. though perhaps that’s easier for me since I’m not gay….
I didn’t like it either. Parts were okay but overall it made me uncomfortable.
Ear candy- lol. I know what you mean, as a fellow word nerd.
There were so many parts of the speech that stood out to me- I really liked the part about no longer being indifferent to the suffering of those in other countries. And I just love how much he emphasizes hope for our future. He is wonderful. I am excited to see what happens in the next 4 years.
I am very excited about our future. Many times today I also teared up. I work at a senior apt. complex and we had all the common area TVs blazing. I was also disgusted by the “opening prayer”. I also had to walk away, but before I did, I added the words: unless you are gay, after most every sentence. I found myself thinking the same thing redarding some of the things Obama said. Over all, I’m very excited about America uniting for a common goal. Apparently, most of us are tired of the old regime.
I often think that you straights must get awfully tired of us gays making everything about us. At least I bet that is the way we come across to many of you – even those of you who actually support us tremendously.
It’s hard for me to put into words. We get so excited about the election of a man like Obama with such vision and hope for all and then we feel left out when he chooses Rick Warren for the benediction. I’m sure it sounds like sour grapes because we didn’t get mentioned… so for this gay guy – I apologize for that. Perhaps one day ALL of America will have a day like today because the first gay person is elected to be president. Because of the one step forward and two steps backward these days that feels like 100 years away.
Enough of gay. I’m thrilled that America has a president with a new vision. My younger brother, the Mormon, told all my family around the campfire this summer that Obama was a Socialist, a Fascist, and a borderline Communist. I’m thrilled that he has to call him Commander in Chief. Obama will bring home and save many lives. I believe in his vision. He sees that America has isolated itself from the entire globe and that they have dismissed us for our eletist and arrogant actions and policies. I celebrate his inclusiveness and open-mindedness. I truly do have great hope for the next 8 years.
and also…I think Bono said it best the other day when he told Brian Williams of NBC that the rest of the world is excited as hell because they can finally take America seriously again.
tell me how lovely this thought is…
Sasha and Aleiha (sp) are being put to bed right now in the White House by their grandmother…
What a tremendous day. I don’t remember a time when soooo many people were soooo ecstatic about a change. What a sense of relief to see that past 8 years finally behind us and revival ahead. Simply breathtaking!
I couldn’t agree with you more. “And can you believe we get to listen to such an aritculate, intelligent, thoughtful president (with a beautiful speaking voice) for the next 4 years?” For some reason, I was extremely touched watching the Obama’s dance their first dance while Beyonce sang “At Last” The tenderness between them both, his love and respect for her, the grace in both of them, their intelligence, YES!! I wait in anticipation at what they will accomplish. I thought his speech soared, what a great orator he is….how vastly refreshing it will be to not be embarrased by our president. What a beautiful couple and a beautiful loving family they are. Bless them.
Hello, regards from Spain, I also have followed live the capture of possession of your president. It has been exciting and encouraging also here and I believe that in many places of the world. I have to congratulate you because you’d chosen a great president, and I have to say to you that this will help to change the image that I have and that I believe that the rest of the world has of your country, that these last eight years it has not been very good. I wish the best for you and congratulations again!!
adriana, 20 years, granada, spain.
I just discovered that HBO has added Rev. Gene Robinson’s prayer to the start of the recorded WE ARE ONE concert. The concert is SOOO worth listening to – but you must at least listen to this prayer. THIS is a prayer worth repeating.
http://www.hbo.com/weareone/
Thank you Adirna!
Yes, I’ve been so aware and concerned about our reputation/standing in the rest of the world. For the first time in about 7 years, I feel I could vsit (nearly) any country in the world and hold my head high – not have to make excuses for the president. I still apologize for the FORMER president’s idiocy and offenses, but am now thrilled to say “I’m American!”
Yes, it really was great to listen to the inauguration speech of our new President. I especially liked this passage: “The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.”