I am excited and hopeful and patient

So, Mr. Barack Obama is our president. I am feeling hopeful and excited. Both because Bush is out and because Barack Obama is in. Because he is an African-American man and because I look forward to the changes that come with a new chief executive. In one way or another - from high gas prices, to a favorite store or restaurant closing, to lost jobs close to home or by our extended friends and family - we have felt the tightening of the economic belt. This new president of ours brings hope for change. The news program I watched this morning noted that when President Obama began running for president, the centerpiece was about the war in Iraq but the main story quickly changed to economics at home.

There are so many challenges that we face as a country and are looking to Mr. Obama to lead us above. Today is excitement, tomorrow is work and patience.... Barack and his team need to get to work, and we have to be patient. As much as we'd like to have the administration come in and flip a switch that changes things for the better similarly to how flipping a light switch can change a room from darkness to light, we all know it's not that easy. Things didn't get this way like that and the change we are hopeful for will take some time too.

Let's be excited and hopeful and patient. Today is only day one, we have many days ahead. And, the firsts that took place cannot be erased.