The Rare Post

I don't often comment on the political scene. My Dad taught government and history for most of his career. He soaks up every drop of this stuff. I barely grasp it. What a disappointment for the poor man! I make lots of fudge and cookies to try to distract him from my lack of fundamental intelligence. So far it's working - so don't tell him that's the plan, okay?

Chris and Skyepuppy and Christina have been my main sources of information over the past couple of years - and I'm grateful they are well-informed.

But since today was Inauguration Day, I feel compelled to at least acknowledge it. After all, as soon as my nail polish dries here in a few minutes, I'll pull out the scrapbook calendar and the stamp set with the little flag in it and make a notation that this was Inauguration Day. It's monumental.

This was actually my first inauguration to ever watch live. With the exception of George W., I've always been in potty training or school for every inauguration. And when George W. was inaugurated, I was at work and live streaming hadn't been an option. So this was kind of big for me.

I tried to separate myself entirely from hoopla, celebrity, personal feelings, and all other things and just watch this for what it was - a man taking an oath to become President.

This year, I learned something about the President. When I sat in an itty bitty practice gym in the middle of Kansas, surrounded by a billion (give or take a million) forms of media and secret service agents, I considered throwing up because the President was about to walk into the room, and the President seemed to be someone so intimidating.

And then he walked in. Like any other man. He laughed, he talked, his eyes twinkled, he waved, he sat, he listened, he read, he respected, he cared, he savored the moment, he enjoyed, he spoke, he related, he remembered, he comforted, he credited, he joked, he smiled...and he left. Like any other man.


That was the moment I stopped being intimidated. That was the moment I realized this man, regardless of party, regardless of decision, regardless of personal opinion, had a job with more stress than I could ever hope to know on my worst day of work. A job in which truly - he could never every make everyone happy. A job in which he had to make decisions for which he would be judged when absolutely no one knew vital pieces of information that had gone into those decisions. A job that would cause him to make good choices and bad choices. Those same things happen to me every day at work. It's just that for me, it doesn't trickle down to matter to an entire nation...or world.

Tonight my TV stopped on C-SPAN for...the first time ever...and I watched George W. deliver a speech in Texas shortly after he arrived there today. I listened to him reflect on his years as president and he said (loosely paraphrased here...) he can walk out of the Oval Office knowing he is the same person he was when he walked in eight years ago.

To be able to walk away with your head held high, regardless of the opinion of others...is more than most can do.

Today a new man came into this office and all the celebrity that surrounds it. The job is still difficult. And beneath his presidential oath, he is a man...who will walk in and hopefully laugh, talk, wave, sit, listen, read, respect, care, savor the moment, enjoy, speak, relate, remember, comfort, give credit, and smile.

I acknowledge I don't know much about the political scene, but I do know President Obama is our leader and as such, we should pray for him both as a leader and as a man. (Romans 13:1-2, 1 Timothy 2:1-2).

(PS - I called my mom to read this to her and when I told her I'd done a political post, she said, "Oh! Did you write about the dresses?" No love. Sigh.)