a day of hope

But first, did you know that January 19th was Blue Monday -- the saddest day of the year? Not surprising I guess as the holidays are over, resolutions are broken, the bills have come in, and by now we're fed up with the snow, slush, lack of sun, and the long dark nights. I must say though that when the clerk I'd been grumbling to informed me of the status of the day, it cheered me up immediately! I suppose it was comforting to know that it wasn't just me. 

How fortunate then to have the saddest day followed by such an incredible day. If up to two million people attended the inauguration in person, how many more worldwide were witness to this historic ceremony on TV, radio, or Internet? And will January 20th ever come to be officially known as the day of hope, the day when things finally turned around? Certainly this event was not just important to Americans, because although America often acts as if it's the most important sibling within the global family, all nations have a stake in this. And while I have to admit that I was initially disappointed with not having a woman become president (Palin was nothing but embarrassing), I came to realize that Clinton would never have the unifying power that Obama so quickly displayed. Yesterday was a historic day for all citizens of the world no matter what happens from now on, so my only quibble I suppose is that it would have been nice if President Obama had somehow been able to curb the cost of this grand event. If he had insisted that at least part of the $160 million be diverted into starting to solve some of the economic problems in his country, then that would have been impressive indeed!

Comments

[Krissa]

Living in Germany, I can say that Germans were a lot more interested in Obama during the election than they seem to be now. I personally have a "wait and see" attitude. If he (Obama) is sincere and really will make a difference, that's great. Too early to tell though. ... I didn't know about "Blue Monday". I seem to have picked up a stomach bug this week so it's a bit of a blue *week* over here, too. ... Great post! Looking forward to more.

[have gone vegan]

Well, so far he seems to be doing okay, and at least he was able to inspire some hope in people. But yeah, time will certainly tell. Hope you're feeling better!