And out of the ashes rises a Phoenix

I watched, all morning, with complete rapture, the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama. I was enthralled with his speach and the multitude of people who were present, for what seemed like miles of humanity, on the mall of Washington, D.C.. I clapped, I cried, I was proud to see him sworn in as President. I could tell that people were moved by his spirit and that for many it was a life changing event to see an African American in a position of such esteem and power - the leader of the free world. But.....then it dawned on me. What would have been life changing for me would have been to have a woman standing there saying the same things.

African American men got the right to vote 50 years before women did in this country. The 15th Amendment gave men of all races voting priveleges in 1870. Women didn't secure the same right until 1920 (19th Amendment). So, am I to wait another 50 years before I see a female in the highest office in the land? What is more disappointing is that the females who are put up for powerful positions are people that aren't right for the job - no wonder they lose.

Aside from this, though, he had a powerful message. It made me feel like the country is a phoenix who will rise from the ashes into a more glorious machine of prosperity and well-being. I also heard him reach out to the American People and say this is the time to make a difference. Change cannot begin only in Washington, it has to begin in our homes, in our thought processes, in our behaviors. We have to become more active in our communities, take more responsibility for our neighbors when they struggle, help each other overcome the hard times and all of us will grow. We cannot live on debt any longer. A new "industrial" revolution is waiting for us to grasp onto, launching us out of the doldrums and forward into a better way of life. But how?

Tomorrow, we will all continue on the paths our lives have taken, the wheels in Washington will slowly crank again bundled in red tape and political rhetoric, how do we inject a depressed country with new life? Well, I think it's more than a four year project, but starting somewhere is better than not starting at all. I think, begin at home and see where you get. Maybe I should run for office? Hmmmm.