What a Difference a President Makes

After a year in office President Obama has given America back to us. The "little people," the true Americans and patriots finally have a voice. Right now our voices are soft, barely above a whisper. "We the People" was no longer the rights of the top one percent.

One year after an historic inauguration, we are now asking the questions we could never ask before. What's more, the country has taken a collective sigh of relief. The Office of the President is now being occupied by a scholar and a gentlemen. He has opened the world to an America that we are now ready to garner the respect that was lost. By just being in office, President Obama has effected a global change. We are at the on the edge of greatness.

During the first year in office, the country, despite our issues, seemed more relaxed. Of course, there are detractors and haters. The Birthers have yet to learning the lesson of acceptance. There are some that state that he isn't "presidential" enough. But also, there are those that are so incredibly proud of him.

We all are surprised to the good or bad that we have had in President Obama, that even with the country in chaos, he remained steady and confident. The words were not just some sort of politic-ease. It was sincere and empathic. Dare I say it was comforting? I watched the election with bated breathe, not believing that each state turned blue after blue. The electoral college numbers climbed higher and higher. Finally the calls were made, consession speeches and acceptance speeches. And while I thought both men were equally capable of being President, the then President-elect said something that touched my heart. To those of you that didn't vote for me, I will be your president, too. How different that was from what we had heard and felt in the past. At last, there was someone that said we ALL matter. The good of the many outweighs the good of the few or the one. Overnight the country transformed into a sea of positive energy. It is a transformation that continues to this day with no sign of stopping in the near or distant future. There is a change that has still to come.

What a difference a president makes. What a difference a year makes. President Obama has taken this country to an even higher level. It's as though we had an 8 year nightmare and awoke to discover that the nightmare was real. The new president stepped in and removed the boogey-man from under the bed. This has been a year to remember. We were calmer, less abrasive. We stopped barreling our way into the lives and countries of others. Finally, we have someone who cares about those of us on Main Street. Corporations are being scrutinized. Legislation is being passed based on the People rather than PACs. The top 1% will no longer run unbridled, making money at the expense of the poor. We have a country now that is for all Americans, not just those on the top of the ladder.

The future has yet to be set in stone. I look forward to it now more than ever.