Change has come to America!

Today... I was proud to be an American! Oh wait... I am not an American, but if I was, I would have been extremely proud to see Barack Obama be sworn into the White House. As a Canadian I am extremely proud and almost envious of the Americans who have the opportunity to be led by such an incredible person.

I don't follow American politics, but I stumbled across Mr. Obama a few years back on Oprah when he was promoting his 'The Audacity of Hope' book, and at that time I was very taken by him... his charisma, his character... everything about him is something Americans and people around the world will no doubt love in a president.

I actually got chills today listening to a few of his quotes from the inauguration speech...

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

"We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done."

"To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

I loved listening to his speech... I wish that Canadian politics could be that moving! I had the same chills today that I had listening to Obama's 'Yes we can' speech back in November - seriously, this man has a gift to deliver powerful, moving, and inspiring speeches and I think it will be an honour to witness his run in the oval office.

As a side note, I loved a little snippet of a story that was on CNN... about Barack's daughter Malia ...

"The pressure on Obama to produce a speech for the ages not is limited to the public, Obama said. After a family visit to the Lincoln Memorial, which has Lincoln's second inaugural address inscribed on its walls, Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, turned her father and said, "First African-American president -- better be good."

If my Dad was the president of the country, I think I would still have that same sacrastic attitude - I love it!