In My Lifetime

The first thought on my mind this morning was, "This is the last day of the Bush presidency." I got goosebumps, took a pee and went about my usual morning disciplines.

I read the paper a little later on and there was a blurb about my guy Bono responding to Michelle Obama at the inaugural concert in D.C. on Saturday and I choked up and thought, "You are a rock star, Michelle. I am so proud of you, the first lady of the United States." Yes, I said all those syllables in "first lady of the United States" as if my unspoken thoughts could be misunderstood by me.

Then while prepping my show I listened to "Fresh Air" and heard stories from the 60s and the civil rights marches and protests and passage of the "Voting Rights Act" and got chills once again and tears once again. I heard the words that convinced the older generation of African Americans in the south to go out and join the effort to stand up against the machine and demand their voices be heard.

OK, my age was in single digits at the time and I don't remember any of that in my young daily life but that hateful, hurtful, heinous racist treatment happened in my lifetime.

Tomorrow a young man shall become my president and I am so excited. It is history in the making - racial history that was not imagined to happen in my lifetime. This is also the history of a clean break with the narrative of old white guys as president, while being in perfect accord with the nature of my country, governance by the people.

This time the people sound like me for the first time in my lifetime. The talk is of hope and hard work and shared stewardship of the American Dream. I want to hear about putting Americans first in the direction of our government, not putting the American corporation first. I want health care to be viable for everyone. I want peace to be our dominant paradigm. I want to be proud of us, all of us, especially the president.

I don't know how Barak Obama will fare as president but I will do all I can to assist his leadership. I was inspired by his message of hope during the campaign and actively did a little work in the campaign to help make it happen. (A first for me.) I hope to see the reflection around the globe of the shining light of optimism and opportunity and equality and freedom that I was brought up to believe about this country.

I will see that restored in my lifetime.