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I Got My Country Back Today!

January 20th, 2009 categories: Viewpoint

I’m not usually one to write politically slanted articles, but today’s post really has nothing to do with politics. Rather, it has to do with reclaiming something I lost eight long years ago. I hope you’ll take it in the positive, uplifting spirit that’s intended.

For eight  L-O-N-G  years, I was a man without a country. Today I got my country back.

Oh I’ve always been a resident of the U.S. and never stopped believing in it. Throughout the last eight years, I followed and believed in the laws, principles and rights upon which our great nation was founded. But even though I believed and supported my country, the people who ran it didn’t believe in me. Or at least that’s how it felt.

Even though I always remained a part of my country, sadly, from 2001-2008, my country didn’t really seem to want to be a part of me. Until today.

They believed in doing things the way they wanted to do it. They believed in ignoring the wishes of the people they were chosen to serve. They believed a quick wink or a sarcastic smile was the way you got things done.

They turned their backs on many of our long-time friends throughout the world. They justified a war based on unreliable information and then tried to spin their failed logic to make it seem like it was still a worthwhile endeavor.

After four long years, I thought help was on the way. It was close, but in the end not enough of my fellow countrymen were ready to throw in the towel. Things here at home were pretty prosperous, they reasoned. And they didn’t really seem to care what the rest of the world thought about us.

Their voice was heard and I was forced to resign myself to another four years of the same old thing. I took solace in the fact that no matter what, four years later change would come. But whether that change would be modest or sweeping in nature would remain to be seen.

First we had to get through the next four years.

I’d been this close to the change I was looking for twice before — first with a man named Al and later with a man named John. But both times, a man simply known as “W” dashed those hopes and took my country away.

As 2008 grew near, Dubya’s bad act finally caught up with him. No longer would a wink, a shrug or a thin-lipped smile do the trick. The rest of the world had been onto him for years. Now the rest of his country was onto him as well.

Once more I felt a sense of hope. But those hopes had been dashed before and I had serious doubts whether I could count on my fellow countrymen come November. From August through October, the experts tallied their numbers and made bold predictions which helped boost my spirits.

But memories of how those gleeful early predictions quickly turned sour on that first Tuesday in November back in 2000 were still fresh in my mind.  I also remembered all too well how a man named Kerry went into that Tuesday back in ‘04 with a lot of promise but ultimately missed by just a whisker.

Heading into this past November, I was hopeful, but it was a cautious type of optimism. Could I count on my “friends” in places like Florida, Indiana and Ohio? Or Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Virginia?

I hoped that by now they’d seen what more than half the country saw in 2000. And what almost half the country saw again in 2004. Yet, even though I was as optimistic as can be, by November the fourth, I still had plenty of skepticism.

I knew that no matter what, Dubya’s days were numbered. And that alone was a very good thing. But would things be largely the same, save for a different face on the 6 o’clock news everyday? Or would real change, sweeping change, a reclamation of the country I’d lost back in 2000 finally be at our doorstep.

Unlike that depressing November back in 2000 when the country I knew was taken from my grasp and unlike that equally woeful November in 2004 when my hopes were dashed once more, finally, in 2008, my enduring faith in this great land was at last rewarded.

After Obama was declared the winner, everything felt surreal. Would I awaken the following day and realize that what had happened the night before was just a dream? I hoped not. It sure felt real. My emotions ran the gamut. I was excited, hopeful, elated, encouraged, energized and even a bit melancholy…all at the same time.

Sadly, the backdrop of our nation’s state of affairs was at an all-time low. People were mad, hurting, fearful, anxious and depressed by what was happening in the world. Nevertheless, it looked like at long last, as Obama himself so calmly said, help indeed was on the way.

In my mind, January couldn’t come soon enough. But after eight long years, I could certainly wait another 77 days. It didn’t seem possible, but I was about to get my country back.

The holidays came and went and every day the press kept us up to date on the upcoming transition of power. No longer did I have to wake up and pinch myself. This wasn’t a dream. It was really going to happen. Help was really on the way.

Although this would be a historic first in many different ways, the man who made history remained calm, dignified and conciliatory. He gave of an air of quiet confidence, instilling a sense that he REALLY was the right man for the job. No matter where you lived, what you did for a living or what you believed, if you lived anywhere in America, you finally had someone on your side — someone with a commitment to make things better.

And even if you lived abroad, he instilled confidence that he’d do everything he could to heal old wounds and make the entire planet a better place for all of us. He never talked down about the man he was replacing.  He reached across the aisle in our nation’s hallowed halls and asked for cooperation and cohesiveness.

He didn’t have an old-boy network to fall back upon. Nor decades of favors to repay. He brought with him a respectful, engaging can-do spirit. He didn’t make outlandish promises. Never put down those who created the current mess. He called not for blame, but for action. He displayed empathy and encouragement. He showed compassion and pragmatism.

He seemed to speak from the heart. He respected tradition but embraced progressiveness. He quickly pointed out that he didn’t have all the answers. But he pledged to do everything within his power to find them.

For the first time in eight years, it would no longer be all about Me — it would be about Us. It would be about surrounding himself with the greatest minds and latest information. But it would also be about calling on all of his countrymen to collectively do their part, too.

No longer would one man call the shots without regard for what was best for the country he was leading. Things were about to change. The country would at long last have a say in its destiny. Or at least that’s how it feels.

Some may call it blind faith or wishful thinking, but I have a feeling that we’re on the doorstep of a paradigm shift. I think we’re about to be led by a man who one day will be lauded for leading his country out of some of its darkest hours and into a period of worldwide stability and fellowship.

I don’t think he’ll wave his magic wand and make things happen overnight. Nor will he do this by himself. Rather, I think he’ll LEAD each and every one of us into doing our own small part so that we can collectively help restore this great land’s health, prosperity, world image, and philanthropic spirit.

He knows he can’t do it alone. He knows there clearly is strength in numbers. Whereas his predecessor often seemed blind to reality, this man seems to have an ability to keep things in perspective. To look at the big picture without overlooking all the little pieces that contribute to it.

When I woke up today, it felt different than most days.  It felt like one of those dozen or so days in your life when the world stands still.

I hadn’t planned to watch too much of the inaugural proceedings. I wanted to see the actual swearing-in ceremony and figured I’d watch a little bit before and after. But as soon as I started watching, I was captivated.

This wasn’t just a historic day because the nation’s first African-American had assumed our highest post.

It was much more than that. A rebirth. A new beginning. I wasn’t around when FDR called for his New Deal. But I imagine it felt a lot like today.

Last night I went to sleep with high hopes and dreams.  A feeling that better times were on the horizon. That Obama’s lofty agenda would resonate throughout the land and all across the globe. I felt hopeful and confident.

Today, I feel an energetic sense of excitement. Last night’s hope today feels very real and very achievable. It feels like the dawn of a new era. It feels like we’ve been on an eight year journey and finally reached our destination.

We’ve reach that elusive crossroad — where we finally get to say goodbye to eight years of heartache and exclusion and welcome the beginning of an era of inclusion, cooperation and dignified accountability.

From a humanitarian standpoint, I wish “W” all the best and hope the rest of his years are filled with contentment and happiness. I’m just glad that from this day forward, his goals and ambitions will remain only his own and no longer be forced on the rest of us.

I’ve always been proud to be an American, proud of our nation’s ideals, our values, our history, our tolerance and our spirit.

But over the past eight years I often felt misrepresented by our leaders. And yes, embarrassed by some of their actions.  And by their indifference to matters that demanded their immediate attention.

When I saw the former Air Force One jetliner gently ease off the ground, with Dubya and his family all aboard and Texas-bound, I felt yet another sense of renewal and freedom.

The right man was now in charge. The wrong man was on his way home.

After eight long years, I finally got my country back!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 9:58 pm and is filed under Viewpoint. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  1. Judy Peterson said at January 21st, 2009 at 4:49 am

    Rod-you have eloquently captured the feelings of so many. The last time I felt this excited about the future it was the ’60’s. It feels like a redemption.

  2. Rod Herman said at January 21st, 2009 at 9:04 am

    Thanks Judy. Exactly how I feel. I was too young to grasp what was happening in the world when JFK took office (my focus was still on playgrounds and Tinker Toys at the time). But my sense is that back then, the nation had a similar feeling as today — that an exciting, promising new era was about to dawn.

  3. Jen said at January 21st, 2009 at 11:25 am

    Couldn’t have said it better myself, Rod. Very eloquent, as usual! I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts! :-)

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