change

the word has been said so much in the Obama campaign that i feel like many people are sick of it-- believing that there simply is too much crap to pick up after eight years of downfall and foolishness on many fronts. and although i, like many, have a cynical side and am well aware that things aren't going to be swift or perfect. but there is the hope that we will no longer stand intolerant to just about everyone, that those in government will work WITH people instead of keeping those that disagree at an arm's length, and that the needs of people will be heard at home and abroad. this morning as i woke up earlier than i have in months to watch coverage of the inauguration, i teared up and celebrated that America made this happen. i know that the political climate has shifted dramatically in this country even if most people's wallets haven't-- you could feel it while President Obama (i love writing that) was speaking, you could see it with little kids believing again that they can be something great. i see the engagement with politics for people of my generation and that enlivens me. i never thought i would care about politics or the news and many people my age are the same way, but i refuse to accept apathy in myself.
i have read the inaugural address about three times today, and agree with all of it. we're in the shit but we can get out of it. and it will take cooperation, not guns always, to make it happen. it will take responsibility for our screw-ups as people, and it will take a little less consuming and materialism. and it will take caring about others. my favorite part of President Obama's speech was this:
"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."
amen.