Still Hopeful and Excited

Watching all of the Inauguration coverage yesterday I had this strangely protective feeling about the Obamas. I found myself mumbling prayers in my head for them, for us, hoping they stay safe from from harm, that President Obama retains his insight and energy, that Michelle is able to keep her place as his rock, keeping him real and that she too has someone keeping her real. Both of them have smiles that warm my heart and that among their many other wonderful qualities, makes me so happy that they represent our country.
I have mixed feelings about the way the Bushes left the White House. Watching footage of people in the crowd singing "Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye!" and booing them as they left made me laugh and then feel ashamed. The whole day felt better than that, watching Obama get sworn in and talk about rising above childish, petty behavior. But the Bush Presidency did so much to hurt America, to make people feel degraded and low, that it was hard not to respond in such a way. I thought back many times in the last couple of years to John Stewart's appearance on Crossfire when he said that they were "hurting America," but rather applying it in my head to the Bush Administration. My friend sums it up well here, in a blog post where she imagines what she will tell her infant son about the Bush era, years from now when he is old enough to understand.
As the new whitehouse.gov website declares, Change has come to America. The millions of Americans who were willing to stand in the freezing cold for hours on the Washington Mall just to be a part of the Inauguration Day was about more than electing the first African-American President. It was about reclaiming America for the people again and it felt good.
I know there will be disappointments during the Obama administration, but I know, I trust, that he will also do all he can to deliver on his promises, and I feel like a lot of those millions of people who supported him during the election and who were out there supporting him on Inauguration Day will help make sure some of those changes come about.
I'm already busy in 2009 with trying to keep my freelance business going, working a part time job, and doing pro bono grant writing for some artists and nonprofits that I love. I can't imagine where the time will come from, but I want to carve out more time to devote to getting to know my community and being more politically active. I think that's the best solution to a lot of the social problems we face and the best cure from letting things get as bad as they were during the Bush years again.