I woke up at 4:30. Couldn't sleep. Hung out under the covers listening to the coverage on NPR for a bit but gave in and just got up!
It must be amazing to be in Washington on this day. Americans reinvent themselves all the time. We're known for our resilience, inventiveness and persistence. Every four years we get to reinvent ourselves on a grand scale with the peaceful transition of government from one presidential administration to the next.
Every new president brings the promise of new direction, a better economy, better understanding among ourselves and our allies and with those governments with whom we have a more challenging relationship. It's just that this time we've outdone ourselves and elected a president who will be one of the handful of truly great presidents - and at the same time we've changed forever the face of the President of the United States of America. Have we lived up to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Have we learned to judge for the content of character and not the color of skin? The election and inauguration of Barack Obama says: Yes we have.
NPR reported that there is a tradition that every outgoing president leaves a note in the desk of the Oval Office to his/her (someday that barrier too will fall) successor. The contents of the note are known only to the two presidents involved. I wonder what George W. Bush will say to Barack Obama? "I'm sorry I left you such a mess?" One can hope. I wonder what Barack Obama's will say to his successor in eight years' time? "I hope I've left things better than I found them. We're at peace. Our economy is growing. We've made inroads into developing sustainable energy to run our utilities and our transportation. We have found a way to make sure that all of our people have access to health care. Please pick up where I've left off and take us further." One can hope!
