Inauguration Day: My thoughts

I believe in the common good. Today, I realized with teary eyes like some big cry-baby, just how much I believe in it.

I've always believed in personal sacrifice for the betterment of all Americans, and Obama is the first politician since I can remember who has spoken of the sacrifice and hardship that we HAVE to weather in order to achieve our goals of peace and prosperity - i.e. the common good. Who was it who said that compromise is when everyone leaves the table unhappy? That's what real compromise is - not trying to get the other guy to give up everything in order that we can have our way. But that's exactly what we've been doing in this country - asking too much from our environment, expecting everyone else to do the work and passing out blame at every chance we get. What we've ignored was our personal responsibility, making personal sacrifices or asking more of ourselves even when it meant leaving the table unhappy.

Today, watching Obama being sworn in as the 44th president, I realized how inspiring he is, and how he represents an optimism I've never experienced before. It makes me want to share in that responsibility, as Obama put it in his speech - for the values I believe in that are the 'price and the promise of citizenship.'

For me, today was about finding a president who represents everything that I love about this country and makes me aware of what being American means to me. For me, that was the true inspiration of today.

Here was my favorite bit from his speech:

"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."

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