My Civic Duty

I voted today. This is really the first time in my adult life that I have felt so proud to go stand in line and cast my vote. I really feel that I was putting my hopes and wishes out there for the future of our country.

I suppose I have been swept up in the Obama-mania. How can you not be moved by his message of hope? It is more than that though. Is he the most experienced? No, but I believe in him that he has the sense to surround himself with people who do have experience. What I trust is that he has the ability to listen to them and then weigh the choices for himself. Does he have all of the answers? No, but I believe in him that he is humble enough to know that he doesn't have all of the answers - and thus to look outside of himself and his own experience. In this way, I hope that he will be better able to put himself in other's (other people, other countries, etc.) shoes before making his own choices for our country.

I am inspired that his first choice is to talk - not attack. I am inspired that he voices his own advertisements and that his message is consistent and uplifting. I am inspired that he represents a meeting of so many worlds (black / white, Christian / Muslim, youth / experience, even Democrat / Republican to a certain extent).

I do not think that he can solve all of our country's ills. However, I do believe that his infectious message of "hope" is a good first step.