Pausing For History...

As the images of dignitaries flooded the television screen, I found myself reflecting on a moment in history and pondering what the country might be like four years from now.

Would President Obama, a man of apparent eloquence and forethought, have succeeded in restoring our teetering economy? Will our health care system be any less expensive and dysfunctional and will everyone have access to the care they need? Will our relations with other countries have improved significantly? Will we have forged a stronger peace in the Middle East or have sought imperative changes here at home to put an end to the deregulation and greed responsible for reckless decisions and practices on the part of our financial sector? What of the war in Iraq?

These and many other concerns now rest firmly upon the shoulders of our newly inaugurated president, his advisors and our senators and congressional representatives. The president and his colleagues, like the rest of the United States, have been given a wake-up call.

While Mr. Obama has promised change in the face of economic crises at home, a crumbling infrastucture, rising debt and ongoing military conflict, his inauguration speech also emphasized individual responsibility, sacrifice and hard work. It will be interesting to see how the next few months unfold and whether these changes manifest with time.

I find it quite telling that personal and communal ethics were not directly mentioned. Nor has anyone yet asked why we, as a nation, have allowed ourselves to create and hang on to a way of life that is proving unsustainable. I hope that there is a vision afoot that includes more than just keeping our consumerism and the debt that ensues from that afloat.

In the interim, I will bookmark President Obama's website and sign up for e-mails from the White House regarding his policies, new legislation, and agenda. He is the first president to utilize the Internet in this manner. I encourage all who read this to do the same. Perhaps we will have a greater voice in national affairs.