Obama and the Spirit of Change

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

These are my favorite lines from the inspiring, eloquent speech President Obama gave today at his inauguration. It was honest, not avoiding the troubles of our current world, but still carried a tone of idealism. He inspired hope as he reminded us of the good parts of the American spirit: the determination, the hard work, the ability to enact change, and make dreams reality. His words made me believe that change was truly possible. Profound change making this nation better. And that I had a responsibility to contribute to this change.

As I looked at those 2 million people gathered at the Mall, I wondered how much they were filled with hope, how much that they believed that healthy change would occur quickly in the coming years. Did they see that they are a strong part of righting the overturned America? Or are we so accustomed to being victims and will continue to leave it to others? And in four years will we be disappointed that all our hopes for change were not met?

Obama will not save us on his own; his power will reside in inspiring us to change and create change. Values and preponderance of belief are what have brought us down and a change to these is what will turn this world around.