Inauguration Day!

It is a historical day for America, for 8 long years we have suffered under the administration of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. To quote a former president, "Our long national nightmare is over." Of course, that was Gerald R. Ford speaking from the oval office after Watergate, but I think it is more fitting at this time in our nation's history than it was then. I am writing this post on the morning of the Inauguration of the 44^th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. 5 hours and 12 minutes from now, he will take the Oath of office and become the leader of the free world. The joy I am feeling at this moment is near impossible to put into words. The hope that I have, along with millions of others, is so palpable one can actually feel it in the air. The really interesting thing is the feeling is not just here in the United States, but around the world. America has had great influence in the world for many years, and after losing much of that influence during the last 8 years, it's nice to know that people haven't forgotten that we were once the shining city on the hill, and we can be again.

The hope that I and many others feel, is of course tempered by the myriad of problems we are facing now and in the future. We are facing a possible economic disaster, maybe even worse than the Great Depression. We are still fighting 2 wars, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. We have many domestic issues that need to be solved. Political turmoil and a division of ideology are worse now than at any time in our history. As Barack has said many times, we will have to work together to fix the issues that are facing the nation, he can't do it alone. We must try and heal these wounds, so we may work together and fix the problems we are facing. It has been said that whenever we have great crises a new leader comes along; I think Barack Obama is that leader and I believe he will rise to the challenge and lead us to a brighter future.