Today is Inauguration Day!
President Obama made my cry five times in his 19:07 speech after swearing in; unfortunately, I watched his speech this evening via the Internet, after my children were tucked into their beds, as I am a goof and forgot all about THE most important televised news event of this year and possibly, this century. How could a person not cry? I mean, everything from the clips of the Kenyans watching in dusk light, to Obama's own personal account of his journey:
"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed—why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath..."
Our sincere and brave president asks us to not operate on fear, however, I must restrain my pounding-outta-my-chest hope with caution, as we all cannot avoid seeing the bold patterns that Hate and Fear have weaved: Lincoln, Dr. King, the Kennedy's: John and Robert...visionaries, revolutionaries ahead of their times and martyrs for their causes of a greater good. The camera shot of Obama speaking from above and behind sent me chills. I saw our president for who he is: a tall, skinny man standing in the open air, surrounded by two million people...infinitely vulnerable. If there is a God, please, "God bless" this man and grant him adequate security...all it would take is one sniper at the right given moment...
I believe that this man will change the world and not with his astounding brilliance, prophetic eloquence, other-era elegance, staggering Big Picture visions...
President Obama is the perennial good guy: the sheriff wearing the white hat on the white horse, the guardian on duty at sunrise, sunset; the one you want on watch...and today, the entire world took a pause, together, looking at what he considers to be the horizon; the future.
