It's a New Day!

No. 44 welcome. I've waited for a new president since Bill Clinton stepped down. I'm glad you're here. Let's begin:

HOPE

I've got big plans for our country. And I'm 'hoping' that Obama doesn't let me down. Can he? Yes he can. Will he? I don't know, only time will tell that. Let's start at the beginning. Obama's victory back in November made me so very happy. Of course, I admit I voted Obama. It was a no brainer. I was thrilled that he won the election. I was uplifted by his victory speech, an inspiring speech that made me proud to be an American at this specific crossroads of our country. The following day I went into work. Work, the place where any Obama celebration is banned. I secretly smiled and did happy dances in the copy room when no one was looking. That is until Proposition H8 passed in California blowing the happy wind right out of my sails. Apparently "Yes we can" - except the gays. (sigh)

HOPE

So the holidays come and go. As did a medical issue which could have been very serious, but wasn't. As all horrible possibilities go, once I found out everything was OK, life just simply moves on. No big band shouting that "ryan charisma is healthy" - just business as usual. Thank God. Then comes the inauguration. Douche bag Rick Warren was chosen to pray at the Government ceremony. Why? WTF? Obama, did you use me? Am I that easily expendable that you would cater to this motherfucker and piss all over the people who supported you? This, as far as I'm concerned, was the first 'taint' of our new era in government. I, once again, felt left out. I had to either make peace with his selection or declare Obama a mistake before he was even sworn in. In my own best interests I decided that if this was the ONLY bone he threw to the religious nut bags, I could live with it, while never forgetting that he fucked us once already. I moved on, and hoped for the best. I hoped because that's all I have left politically. I have been waiting for this for a long, LONG time. My boss, of course, still having a "no happiness regarding Obama" rule, not only made the entire office work on inauguration day, but on the previous day (MLK holiday) as well. So beaten and down, I go to work with my newly confirmed healthy body angry. Angry that I'm the only person who has to work on MLK day. Angry that I have to sneak happiness about our new president. But most of all, angry that I'm going to miss the historical swearing in of Barack Obama live. So what, right? I'm an adult and I move on. I wake up on inauguration day excited. Today is the rest of our country's life. Everything changes today. Will the new president put the religious fundamentalists in their place? God I hope so. Will he declare that proposition H8 is wrong and the people who supported it are not his kind of people? God I hope so. Will he chastise the health & drug companies for bleeding American of their money for so long? God I hope so. Would he basically 'bitch slap' the haters and greedy people into reality? I won't know because I have to go to my place of employment where Obama is banned. Mind you, it's not a written rule that Obama is banned, it's understood. Our whole office knows, just don't talk about him and/or politics. So we don't. I sat listening to the swearing in on Internet radio. I was thrilled to hear him sworn in. And as far as screwing up the oath. So what? I don't think that amounts to a hill of beans. But now, now I was going to hear MY new president speak. His first speech as President of the United States. His speech failed me. Not a bad speech, but certainly not inspiring or motivating. I know he didn't write it on the bus on his way to school, but that's how it sounded to me. It wasn't a bad speech, but not a good speech either , it was just a speech. Obama had set the bar so high for himself that he failed me with his speech. I was let down. Where's the bitch slap to the religious kooks? Where's the mention of gays being treated unfairly? Where's the inspiration he charged into his past three speeches? It was a speech whose talking points I totally agreed with, but it didn't charge me up. I wasn't inspired. I wasn't impressed. As a matter of fact he could have had his daughter Sasha read it and it would have had the same effect. Good points, no passion.

HOPE

So within minutes of Obama's swearing in the White house web site updated with Obama's plans for the lgbt community. I found the website more inspiring than Obama's Inaugural speech. Please Obama, give me back my hope. I'm tired of hearing that this will not be fixed in one year. We were told that when 9/11 happened, and here we are 8 years later. So now we're hearing it again. I don't want to wait a LONG time. In fact, I'm not some 20 yo who can wait a long time. Life is short and my rights shouldn't be behind the economy & wars. I didn't break any of it. I made sure my life isn't paid for with credit cards. I go to work everyday and have an excellent work record. I live a very green life to help save our planet. I never supported the war and look forward to it ending. All I have left is hope Mr. Obama. Hope in you. Hope in your administration. And hope that the rest of America wakes up and does the right thing. I'm saddened. Yesterday didn't brighten my day the way I expected or wanted. It was, due to my workplace, just another day with just another speech. But I won't give up hope, as I said...it's all I got.

HOPE