A Glorious New Start

I am over-the-moon for this new presidency...and today is the day I have dreamt about for 8...long...painful years. Today is the day that George W. Bush leaves office as President of the United States and heads back to Texas--yee haw everybody!!! I was so ecstatic when I got up this morning that by the time I got into my office, I just had to take a moment, shut my door, do a little dance, and break out into a little song that goes something like this, "I can see clearly now the rain has gone...I can see all obstacles in my way."  Seriously folks, it was like the clouds parted, the rays beat down from the heavens on this frigid, freezing day and Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" started playing in the background to my already busted out secret karaoke. 

On a serious note, it is no secret that I think George Bush's presidency is an embarrassment...and the fact that the American people voted for and elected this douche-bag not once but TWICE...is the true crime! OH MY GOODNESS, that idiot has done more damage to public and international policy in the past 8 years than any other president in history!!! If you disagree with this statement...that's okay...because you should clearly not be penalized for living a life of privilege, disillusionment and never being exposed to significant adversity and/or diversity. But, I'm dropping the rope on Bush...his payback is the fact that he gets to sit at this inauguration realizing that his legacy as President is a joke and that most of the United States and world is celebrating his departure!!!! 

Anyhoo, back to a glorious new start...I was finally able to listen to Obama's speech tonight at 10:30pm. I was emotionally moved from a historical perspective...the first bi-racial individual being elected as the President of the United States...how awesome is that?!  Better yet...how awesome was the benediction by my man Rev. Joe Lowery...dang...I love this guy!!!!  He is one of the most integral parts of the Civil Rights Movement....if you've never heard him speak or read a piece of his work...then listen to his words below.  Out of everything done and said around this inauguration....this was by far was the most moving and inspiring for me...AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!

Obama's speech was excellent; however, I don't need to be given a shot of reality and HOPE. I'm a social worker and live in reality and hope on a daily basis. In fact, I'm very proud that my HOPE never faltered....I still advocated, legislated and voted in the face of defeat, and I still kept up with what's been happening both locally, nationally and internationally. As a social worker, it's my job not just to talk the talk of HOPE, but also walk the walk of HOPE; although, as a social worker with Bush being elected TWICE I technically should have fled to Canada or Australia, but then again if I did that I couldn't be proud of myself for having the hope and faith that one day this Bush nightmare would be over.  

Even though I might not need Obama's shot of HOPE...what I did need was to see that Americans haven't given up entirely. I needed to see America uniting together and folks not just feeling hope but seeing change. My hope is that everyone who watched Obama's address or the hullabaloo surrounding Obama's address felt inspired in some way start participating in their life. For example: The recent miracle on the Hudson River...that pilot saved 150 people because he took his job seriously...it's apparent that he didn't look to his job just for a paycheck...he looked to his job as a career and as a responsibility.  If everyone in America looked at and took their roles in life, both personally and professionally, seriously rather looking at everything as what someone else can give you...then where would we be as a nation? 

As a final note on this day of hope...let's all keep our fingers crossed that the ignorant, stupid, asshole Senator from Texas (Republican John Cornyn), is given the old one-two-beat down by his fellow Republicans tomorrow when he plans to hold up & protest the confirmation of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. This jack-ass still feels there are questions to be answered regarding Hillary's nomination...ah...geez-louise...mister!!!! Um, Senator Cornyn...if you're reading this blog...you can find those answers out here at the 8 hour confirmation hearing held last Tuesday where all of those answers were addressed...you stupid moron!!!

Obama 2009!!!!!