.:Inauguration:.

I have been watching the inauguration proceedings on t.v. all morning. It seems like there is such a spirit of hope among Americans right now. I like how Obama has been saying all along that we need to work in a spirit of bi-partisanship, and I hope that he really continues to work for that. Our nation is so divided right now between parties, and I'm so tired of everyone blaming everything on everybody else. It seems like if people would learn how to work together, instead of against each other, we could make a lot more progress. That being said, I'm a bit worried about how much everyone seems to be putting Obama up on a pedastal. The expectations seem super high for him, and I'm not sure he can live up to them - I'm not sure anyone could! Our country is such a mess right now, and it seems like people are expecting him to be able to change things so quickly, and I think it's going to take much more than that.

It is a historic day, though, and I have loved hearing about all of the traditions that the incoming and outgoing presidents have. It's neat to learn about the history of this event. While many people are so quick to criticize President Bush, I still believe that he is a good man. Sure, he made mistakes - don't we all! It's not like he was the only one that any decisions had to go through! But I think that he had the country's best interests at heart, and did what he thought was right at the time. I think he did a lot to keep our country safe after 9/11, and that's definitely not an easy position to be in.

Hopefully Obama will be able to bring the country back together, and start us working towards improvements that our country is in need of. It's a special day, and however sappy this may sound, it brings tears to my eyes as I watch everything on t.v. and realize what a great country we live in, and how blessed we truly are. I'm proud to be an American!