Our New President... Barack Obama...

Today...

today, I feel optimism. I can smell it. I can taste it.

I will not Bush bash.

His 8 years are up... goodbye...

Onward and upward shall we?

There are sooo many naysayers about our new President.

Why can't people look past party lines and just relish in the fact

that the USA has finally put on the big girl panties and elected a

History Making

President.

This goes so beyond Republican/Democrat lines.

THIS is about humanity.

THIS is about hope.

THIS is about a renewed sense of pride.

I just want to say a BIG NEENER FREAKING NEENER to any and all former slave owners,

to any and all people who still think/believe/teach that being a black person

is somehow being a lesser person.

To all those people... all over the world... who are incensed that a beautiful black man

is now the leader of the Free world...

SHUT UP AND TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!

***

My boys...will never... have never... should never... view people as lesser because they are different from them.

It is not what Bill and I teach, mentor, or model.

I am so proud to have four men in my life that see the person... not the color.

I am so glad my children were born in this era and not the 50's or 60's.

They would be Mamaless, because I may have been killed protesting with the oppressed.

I would have been crossing lines, letting Rosa Parks sit in my front seat of the bus,

having white servants, attending "black" churches...

***

Beyond that... it really made me ridiculously sad that petty, small minded people were

picking itty bitty things like... Obama didn't wear a flag pin, he's not patriotic,

or Oh, did you see he didn't put his hand over his heart a few years back.

Really?

Are you kidding?

THAT'S what they focused on!

I have never, nor will I ever wear a flag pin.

It doesn't go with my clothes.

I must be unpatriotic.

Come ON!

***

His speech was firm. He asked us all to pull ourselves out of our self indulgences,

and to get to work.

I never want to hear again... after a major catastophe, to

"Go shopping... that'll show 'em"

We need a man in the Office that can tell it like it really is.

No fear tactics. We were safe for many many many years before the last regime,

and 911 happened on his watch... and, yeah, we have been "safe" for the past 8 years...

but anyone in office would have... could have done the same thing.

Oops... no bashing. Just stating facts. I just hope he was wearing a pin during the

attacks... cuz that's important, it proves he was patriot.

This country needs to be loved by the world again.

Peace means love... not fear.

Peace means consessions... and listening, and communication... not fear.

I have traveled abroad both before and after 9/11

and we are not liked post 9/11.

Our military is over 'there' doing what they do best... I believe... by maintaining a level of dignity and grace, in the line of fire, that is unmatched by any other military.

In this type of world... where anything can and will change at a moments notice...

we need to have allies...not enemies, and our military has ensured that our name is kept well, not the last administration. Our military gets those kudos... not the cowards that sent them there.

Yes, I am talking about Dems. too!

This administration really needs to heal a seemingly insurmountable amount of wounds.

He has a WHOLE lot of work to do... as do we.

I have much more of a sense of community since Nov. 4th.

I no longer feel it is "us" against "them".

WE, collectively, are one nation again, as of today.

We need to put aside the 'you' and 'me' mentality

and remember that we are

"we".

Let's fix us before we try and fix the world.

We need healthcare reform in the worst way.

We need alternative fuels.

We need a stable economy.

We need our military home,

where they can recuperate and get back to the business of living, and training, and

keeping our homeland safe.

Today... I feel a sense of pride I haven't felt in a really, really long time.

It's about time.