ChaChaChaChanges

Well, today is a historic day.

We have a new president. We have an African American President. The first one in American history.

I don't envy him. We are in a time of crisis; there's no doubt about that. He said it in his speech:

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

(You can find the entire text of the speech here)

While I do think it's great that we have been able to elect a black person as president, I do have to wonder what it really means. Racism is still prevalent in the country today; I don't think anyone can argue with that. Is this really a big step in closing that racial divide? I wonder how many people simply voted for a candidate based on the color of their skin instead of the issues at hand. If I do give people the benefit of the doubt though and the majority voted based on issues, then bravo, America. I guess time will tell how much this means to racism in America. I can only hope that slowly but surely we are getting past the surface issues of what color a person's skin is and deal with the issues at hand.

Moving on from the racial issues, with the Dow down to below 8,000, I'm continuing to hold my breath in hopes that a new administration will mean an economic turnaround. Again, time will tell. I like my job; I'd like to keep it. I know millions echo that sentiment. Not only am I hoping for an economic turnaround and being able to keep my job (and return to full time!), I'm hoping for healthcare reform. The threat of losing my job has had me looking at private healthcare, which is ridiculously expensive. I mean, I do understand why, but only to a certain extent. I can't fathom having a family and having to pay the entire premium out of pocket.

Obama got my vote in November. He won me and I fell under the "Change we can believe in" motto. Now, Mr. President, show me that change. I know there's a long, steep, slow climb ahead of us, but a new year, a new leader and a new perspective has me hoping that promises will be kept and, in the end, we can look back and say it was change we really could believe in.