44

it's 3 am, guam time. i'm usually up at this hour anyway but tonight it's with purpose. just a few months ago i was up with a similar purpose, to see who was elected to serve both our island and our nation. (and to see who was not elected but that's another story entirely) this early morning, i'm up to see one of those elected officials swear his oath as our 44th president.

i'm not a fan of idolatry by any means. i believe in the inherent flaws that exist in all of us and save for, perhaps, fred rogers or my children, who come the closest to being people i idolize as possible, no one truly deserves a pedestal that places them too high above the general public. i do, however, believe in respect and a certain level of admiration. and though i'll admit to having a limited interest in politics, i have to concede that i have to accept that my place in this world has something to do with the place of others and the choices i make regarding the people who make choices for me are important whether my voice counts as any small technicality or not. i also have to take notice of change and my part in that change. i have to place some faith in the people who have the strength to take a position that most others would not.


so i watch this historical event which will be important to the lives of so many people for one reason or another. i listen to the cheers of people who are celebrating a change that they believe in. i see the tears streaming down faces that are filled with hope, of a dream realized and a dream come true. and more and more it adds to the growth i seem to be experiencing day to day. it marks not only an important event in our nation's history but a pivotal moment in the world my children now live in and will live in for the foreseeable future.


i can no longer cling to a disdain for politics or politicians. i can no longer be blinded by youth and rebellion and say that none of this matters to me. i can no longer throw my hands up and just accept the way the world is when there are people who believe in change, who want change and who think they can at the very least help that change along.


i have no real words of wisdom. i have nothing important to add to this significant moment. all that is left is a simple, "congratulations, mr. president." i look forward to observing how much you handle the hopes of all the people in the country you lead and the neighbors whose lives are also affected by your - by our - nation.