Mr. Obama--The Eyes of the World are upon You

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world..." (Grateful Dead)

As the eyes of the world descend upon Washington, and specifically, upon the next President, America, and indeed, the world looks to one man, Barack Obama, for hope and inspiration. And it's been a long time coming.

It's funny, though. Before Obama's announcement, (almost two years ago now) to run for President, I wasn't even aware that something was missing in America. But it was. As I watched Obama kick off his campaign for President on that cold day in Springfield, Illinois, in 2007, I knew I liked what I saw, but I couldn't really understand what it was I liked. Then talking to a colleague that next week, we started to talk about the upcoming election. I mentioned that I saw this guy, Barack Obama give a speech, announcing his campaign, and I heard myself say what I was feeling, even before I understood it myself. I told my co-worker, "I like this guy. He inspires me. And I am ready to be inspired..."

I thought about that for a while, driving home. And for the next two years, through all the Primaries, the inconsistent debate showings, the Jeremiah Wright issues, the tough campaign with John McCain and Sarah Palin, I watched an inspirational figure become better, not worse. I saw him get taller, not smaller. I saw a man who could take difficult situations, and show the country how a real leader handled adversity, and how he himself learned, and got better. Indeed, all of America watched this man become the leader that we all hoped we saw, that cold winter day in 2007.

So here we are, on the eve of the Presidential Inauguration, and this man has become not only our next leader, but the leader we have put our faith and trust in, to make the decisions and deliver the messages, to help this country be better than it has been these past number of years.

America can be a land that leads the world again--in business, in humanitarian efforts, and in spirit. We are ready. We have been ready. But we have needed a leader to help us see this. Someone who is confident, and can deliver the message we need to hear, in a way that inspires us to do more.

I expect President Obama to wear many hats--Obama the cheerleader, Obama the Reassurer, Obama the Diplomat, Obama the Inspirer of Men (and Women!). For in the end, fiscal policy can make a difference, and governmental leaders can enact policies that point us to the right path. But this country is still a nation of 300 million individuals, striving to do better than they did yesterday, and hoping for a chance to be successful. In many ways, our leadership's main role is to tap into the hope and inspiration that helps us to believe in ourselves, that we can do better. That we can be better. And it is this, more than stimulus packages, and bailouts, and filibusters, and bullets and bombs, that will allow us to be a better country tomorrow than we are today.

President Obama, the eyes of America, and indeed the world, are upon YOU tomorrow. But thanks to you, I am ready to do better tomorrow than I did today. Good luck to you, but more importantly, Thank you for stepping up to the challenge, to help us all make America a better place. Time to get started.