Happy Inauguration Day!

Today, just after noon, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. Historic? Well, yes, I guess if you're the first-of-anything kind of president, you're assured a place in the history books by default. Personally, I'm hoping he makes it for more than that. Happy day? I sincerely hope so. He has four years in which to try and live up to the promise of this day. Am I pleased that he is the new U.S. president? Yes. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised when our neighbours to the south voted in their first African-American president. But to tell the truth, I would have been happy with any Democratic president, after George W. Democrats seeming to be about as "left" as those south of the 49th get, and I'm a little more left than centre myself.

But talk about a weight on your shoulders! I sincerely hope that President Obama has a great routine for relieving stress, because whoa! Commentators everywhere are pinning the hopes of the free world on this poor guy! Let him worry about solving some of the messes in his own country, and then let him shoulder Atlas' burden, okay? There has been some talk in the local media (I haven't heard any U.S. media on the topic of Obama at all, so I don't know) about whether Obama will get a little more leeway than some presidents in his performance in the first little bit, since so many people have such high hopes for him. Um, I'm pretty sure that when a guy has so many hopes pinned on him that you can't tell what colour suit he's wearing, it's not most people's nature to cut him slack. Quite the opposite, in my opinion. But I don't think I've ever followed a political messiah before, so YMMV.

When the clock struck noon, the commentator I was listening to (via radio, Jake and I were in the Jeep. I can only assume that Owen was raptly watching this "defining moment of a generation", as one put it, at daycare) quietly mentioned the fact that although he had not yet taken the oath of office, Barack Obama was now officially the President. I liked that. In Stephen King's The Eyes of the Dragon, there is a line that "God, the law, and the sun make a king, not the coronation", and I liked thinking that the sun makes a President - for better or worse, the American people made their choice, and now it's in greater hands. Personally, I think it was a very good choice, but that we won't know for four years how historic a choice it was. I'm wishing President Obama well, (and praying that he makes it safely through his four years!)

Now, if only we knew who was going to be in charge up here to welcome him on his first official foreign visit! Who knows who's going to be dealing with the messes in this country? I can only guarantee this: it won't be someone half as charismatic!