Change

I, like millions of others, watched the inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama live from Washington DC today. The day brought the much heralded change so many have talked about for months. While I am very tired of hearing the liberal media and silly celebrities tout our new Commander in Chief as practically 'The Chosen One' who will right every wrong, stop every problem and bring them to tears by just speaking his name, I was eager to see how the the cross over would play out.

As I watched the events unfold I had so many various emotions. I was grateful to be an American where we have the right to vote and choose our elected officials. I am grateful that we are a peaceful nation. Yes, we are currently at war, but the overall feeling of our country today was one of unity and peace. I loved the simple smiles and waves and heartfelt hugs between officials and the friendly banter between President Bush and President Obama. I loved that with a short, simple oath one man is released, while another takes his mantle of responsibility. No games, no pouts, no tug of war with the transfer of power. It is just so. I love that. I truly love to be an American.

While I have learned basic information about our 44th president, Barack Obama is an unknown to me. Yes, the facts are that he is a lawyer, teacher, husband, father and until just recently a junior United States Senator from Illinois. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961 to a white American mother and a black Kenyan father. His parents separated when he was two and divorced when he was three. Later his father was killed in a automobile accident in Kenya in 1982. His mother married an Indonesian man shortly after her divorce and they moved to Indonesia when he was six. He returned to Hawaii when he was ten and lived with his maternal grandparents until he graduated from high school. He attended and graduated from Columbia University and graduated from Harvard Law School. For twelve years, Obama served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School teaching Constitutional Law. He met Michelle Robinson in 1989 and they married in 1992. They have two daughters Malia (10) and Sasha (7). His mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995.

Other than simple facts, my opinion of him is a bit undecided because his limited political run has not given me enough information to form a solid opinion, which I do not think is a negative thing. This is why I consider him unknown. What will he do in specific situations, what will his policies be, or how will he react when crisis calls? This is to be determined by what he does as the Leader of the Free World. He is an excellent orator, he has brought a new hope to this country and has a very presidential aura about him. I think he will be respected by other countries and I hope he can continue to bring safety to our soil and can (in a timely manner) bring our troops home.

While I did not cast my vote for his name back in November, I support my president. We prayed for him tonight. I think he has a monumental task at hand. One I would never want. And with all this hype and hope and love he needs to not only succeed, he needs to shine and flourish and bring everyone along for the ride. That will not be easy, or maybe even possible.

As I talked to my mom on the phone about the events of the day today, she compared our government to a huge, slow machine. And that analogy is true. There are so many facets and parts and springs that make our country tick and work and move forward, that change will be slow. And while that could be negative, I think it is positive as well.

I can honestly say I do not like all of President Obama's ideas, I disagree with some of his views and there are some things he promised the people I hope do not work out, but I do know we do need change. Our country is a mess. Morale is low, people are losing jobs and homes, companies are closing, the stock market is abysmal, the government is drowning in debt and dishonest, greedy, foul people and companies have taken innocent people's life savings because they could.

We need change. We need to pick ourselves up and move forward. We need to be better people. We need to pitch in and work and not wait for someone to give them a handout. I hope our new president can do just that.

Change is coming. Only time will tell what it will bring.

From Foxnews.com.

"Barack Obama, addressing his fellow Americans for the first time as president of the United States, offered a sobering assessment Tuesday of the challenges facing the nation, saying that despite the many crises the country faces, Americans will use their ingenuity and productivity to advance prosperity both at home and abroad.

In his inauguration speech, the nation's 44th president told a record crowd of 2 million braving Washington's winter and millions more watching on TV screens around the world that the U.S. remains "the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth," and America will not be cowed by financial, moral, diplomatic or military threats.

"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," Obama said to his first round of applause in the speech.

"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," he continued.

The new president has a weighty job ahead of him, and he has admitted it will take time to stop the job losses and other hardships. Obama inherits one of the worst economic crises endured by this nation, and on top of that he must face down ongoing terror threats to interests at home and abroad. "