Amber Waves

Last night I was trying to find an english speaking channel in my Spanish hotel and had to settle for British news. It was pretty bleak stuff-bad economy, politicians no one trusts, job loss. The stuff that you can't miss these days if you do things like turn on the TV, read a newspaper or spend any time on the internet. I've been feeling some of my own personal turmoil the last few months and it certainly hasn't helped my state of mind to have doom and gloom be the order of the day no matter where you look.

Right now, watching the President and First Lady walk down a Pennsylvania Avenue absolutely teeming with excited people I can't help but think that maybe it's OK to feel some of that hope President Obama has been pushing the last few years. As I listened to his speech today, I felt like he really gets the fears and worries that are weighing so heavily on so many of us. He was reassuring, but he made it clear that we all have a responsibility to make it better. That we will need to be patient and we will need to work together. Instead of saying, "don't worry guys, I'll fix this," he invited us to step up and be the kind of Americans lots of us have only read about in text books. This country has certainly been through worrisome times before but the key is that we always pick up, dust off, and carry on. I feel inspired. I feel motivated. I feel responsible to help.

Yes we will Mr. President.