As I sit and await the swearing in of Barack Hussein Obama as our next president, I realize this may very well be the most significant historical event of my lifetime. Granted I'm only 44 years old, but I have never witnessed the kind of enthusiasm, expectation, and hope in our country than has been brought on by the American people electing its first black commander-in-chief. The sight of millions of people on the Mall is nothing short of breathtaking. Though the promise of change is not new ground for a president (they all promise such), you have to like a guy who is rumored to want to convert the white house bowling alley to a basketball court! But Obama represents a different kind of change. For one, he's the first president of a new generation. Along with significance for African Americans in this country, he is a president for a multicultural, hi-tech, grassroots generation of people who have a different worldview about race, a different way of communicating, and a different expectation of a president. Which leads to what hopes to be the biggest kind of change he may bring to Washington - a change of culture in American politics. If he is what he appears to be, Obama brings a quiet confidence without the arrogance of the most recent administration, a reassuring and welcomed intelligence, a cooperative spirit, and the promise to shoot straight, with the willingness to admit when he is wrong. With a new generation awaiting its new president, America expects nothing less than authenticity in its leaders. With that, Obama may very well be the only kind of president who can unify, inspire, and involve the country for such a time as this. Let's hope he can.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Morning
As I sit and await the swearing in of Barack Hussein Obama as our next president, I realize this may very well be the most significant historical event of my lifetime. Granted I'm only 44 years old, but I have never witnessed the kind of enthusiasm, expectation, and hope in our country than has been brought on by the American people electing its first black commander-in-chief. The sight of millions of people on the Mall is nothing short of breathtaking. Though the promise of change is not new ground for a president (they all promise such), you have to like a guy who is rumored to want to convert the white house bowling alley to a basketball court! But Obama represents a different kind of change. For one, he's the first president of a new generation. Along with significance for African Americans in this country, he is a president for a multicultural, hi-tech, grassroots generation of people who have a different worldview about race, a different way of communicating, and a different expectation of a president. Which leads to what hopes to be the biggest kind of change he may bring to Washington - a change of culture in American politics. If he is what he appears to be, Obama brings a quiet confidence without the arrogance of the most recent administration, a reassuring and welcomed intelligence, a cooperative spirit, and the promise to shoot straight, with the willingness to admit when he is wrong. With a new generation awaiting its new president, America expects nothing less than authenticity in its leaders. With that, Obama may very well be the only kind of president who can unify, inspire, and involve the country for such a time as this. Let's hope he can.
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