WHAT I LEARNED IN SCHOOL TODAY

For our homeschool lessons today we watched the Presidential Inauguration along with as much other media coverage as we could fit in. I've been looking forward to this day since November and even though we didn't have our DVR, or many alternate channels to watch, we still managed to be a part of the stuff that really mattered. Although I certainly did vote in this election, and I certainly did have a candidate I wanted more than the other, I have just been excited to be a part of this monumental time in our Country's History. We would have been glued to the t.v. this morning no matter who was being sworn in. Encouraging my kids to be interested in our political processes and our unique system of government is one of the responsibilities I have as a homeschooler (along with teaching sex ed., ugh!). It is our freedom to choose that allows us to homeschool. But, as it turned out, not only were we able to witness the change of power from one President to the Next, we were also able to witness one of the great moments in time. I think I was eight or nine years old when I became aware of Human Rights issues. I remember hearing rumblings from the adults around me, and then from classmates or friends who were also hearing things, over certain issues at that time. I still have pretty vivid memories of my feelings and thoughts about how I was supposed to think that some people were not as "special" or were not equals to me. The aftertaste is still bitter. It was also the time in my education where I was really learning about U.S. History, The Declaration of Independence, The Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and The Gettysburg Address. I couldn't make it all work in my mind. Woe is the nine year old child facing a major moral dilemma! I just love ya all! So the little hippie in me (I was born in the 1960s, barely, but still...) was just the teensiest bit excited about the declaration we all just made as Americans today. LOVE, love, love. Keep the love a comin'!

I thought the Inauguration was beautiful, yet "real," with the couple of human blunders and what looked like freezing weather conditions. I really noticed this time how much emphasis is placed upon the fact that leadership is passed PEACEFULLY from one president to another, and the fact that this is still a way that WE are a good example to many other countries of the World. I loved looking at so many smiling faces today! I don't care how simple it sounds that I believe smiling is a step toward healing what ails us. I also don't care how silly it might seem that I actually felt a tangible air of hope today emanating from what must have been millions of people worldwide. And I felt a renewed sense of ownership in our great Country. We do have a new leader, who seems to be doing a great job so far of inspiring people to new hope and action. I thought it was right of President Obama to put an equal share of the responsibility back on all of us to make things better. I was impressed by Vice President Cheney, tough old goat, making the ceremony, even while in what I know from experience is terrible pain. Jeff has had back and disk injuries before and it is NOT pretty. No telling how much Vicodin and muscle relaxers it took to get him there... probably the real reason for the wheel chair :). I also learned today that what the First Lady wears is almost as important as what The President says at these things. If you could've seen the ensemble I had on today, you would've been sure that I could never be First Lady material.

Today I basked in the feelings of hope and anticipation. Tomorrow, who knows. Aw who am I kidding?! Tomorrow I'll still be feeling it!