It is almost here! Seventy-five percent of the American public and a larger majority of Earth’s inhabitants have been looking forward to this day… January 21, 2009, the day after Obama takes his oath of office, is what I’m talking about… Oh, yes... Let’s not forget January 20. That day is on my calendar as well… But January 21, 2009 is the big day! On that day we all begin the uphill wagon pull...Since November it has been all about Obama who vanquished 8 years of Republican rule; thwarting any further G.O.P. attempts to injure the Nation with their thorny yet self-serving style of governance. The victory party started on November 4, 2008 and will end on the morning of January 21, 2009… when business commences in the Obama White House.
How quickly things will change on that morning. In a matter of a few short hours we will go from Presidential Inauguration party revelers fighting Capitol City traffic gridlocked, to a newly inaugurated President fighting 8 years of legislative gridlock and Republican stonewalling in the Capitol Building… We will go from singing Obama’s praises to holding his feet to the fire in the blink of an eye… and rightfully so. It is really all about “Americans” and not just Obama.
We know the narrative of an arrogant President who says, “Sit back and trust me!” while he tramples the rights of those he leads. We already know how it feels to have a President who says, “All is well!” when he really means “All be damned except those who agree with me.” So we’re not traveling up that damn road anymore… For Mr. Obama’s sake, we will end the party at one minute past midnight on January 21, 2009; unlike Mr. Bush whose inauguration party coasted downhill for 8 years to a crash landing…
Late January 20, we will return to the reality of our own lives as did Cinderella when her "Ball" ended abruptly. We will go to our own quarters to watch, work and wait for the legislative changes that need to be accomplished by this Congress and this new Administration beginning on the 21st... "We The People," not just a cabal of don't-know-it-all cronies, will negotiate new economic terms for a broken economy and weather the storms of a Nation in transformation.
For those Americans who succumbed to the enabling of George W. Bush, we will learn a new way of thinking beyond our own selfish concerns... For those Americans who have adopted a victim mentality and failed to do their best, we will learn to dig deeper from within and demand more of ourselves and stop blaming others… For those Americans who clearly see the road ahead, we will work diligently to keep ourselves informed and address our lives’ concerns accordingly and in order... All Americans now have new assignments that must be completed within the next four years.
January 21, 2009 is almost here… On that date you, me and Obama will all join in the uphill pull of the American wagon. It doesn't matter what party you support or what you look like. It will not be an easy pull, but a necessary one.
All hands on deck!
G.L.M.
