On the inauguration

It's hard to describe the enormity of this moment - harder probably to truly appreciate it without having suffered personally from the extreme prejudice and discrimination black people have lived with for years in this country. Still, what a moment this is. The first black president of the United States has been inaugurated, and the country is watching, more than ever before.

Expectations have been high on all fronts. This morning on NPR, there was a report on the expectations of children that now the country will turn into one in which there is no distinction based on the color of your skin, and their faith in the fact that this new president will fix their schools.

There was also a mention of Rick Warren and whether he would invoke the name of Jesus - which he did, and in a way that probably didn't offend many.

And there was a mention of the much anticipated inaugural address of our new president - would it be so memorable as to withstand the test of time, like Lincoln's second inaugural address? Will it just have sentences that will continue to be quoted in the years to come? And on my part, would it live up to the expectation set not just by this moment, but by the last two years of listening to a candidate who campaigned largely on the concept of hope, and who believes that "yes, we can!"

The expectations we all have of this president (whether democrat, republican, libertarian, or whatever, we all have them now) are probably the highest placed on any president in recent history. What will time tell us after the party is over? How long will the honeymoon last? I for one hope for a more moderate Obama than we saw on the campaign trail, and for a president who will reach across the aisle.

His life will never be the same, and his popularity probably will never be as high as it is today. The honeymoon will be short-lived, but I have high hopes for his ability to navigate troubled waters and lead people forward.