Hope, Change, and the Military

Today is a historic day and an exciting day to live in Washington, DC. I'm not down with the crowds (yet) - I'm watching the inauguration on tv and then wandering down to buy some historic pins to give out to people as gifts...haha. Today is the inauguration of our 44th President, Barak Obama. Very exciting, and although I haven't walked around a lot, I did go downtown on Saturday. The streets are lined with people and with security.

I was very affected by the number of armed forces. By the IMF and World Bank, humvees lined the streets. I saw soldiers lining up. And I walked right by them. Calmly, without feeling threatened, I strolled by them. I looked them in the eye. I smiled at them. They smiled back. I saw them as they are - young men and women who are wearing a uniform that stands for the exact same things that our new President stands for for so many Americans - hope.

But I was very humbled by the sight of these soldiers. Yesterday I went running outside, and at Lincoln Park, about a mile away from the Capitol, and I saw soldiers marching by. I can't even imagine seeing that many soldiers on a daily basis. I can't imagine having those soldiers being from another country - imagine what it must feel like to be in an occupied country. How do you feel comfortable running past people with guns? How do you feel comfortable running by people who have the outer shield of a uniform, the cloth that can be so difficult to look past to see the face of a human being. I wasn't scared to run by them and I wouldn't have been scared to talk to them (maybe a little embarrassed since I was wearing spandex). What if I couldn't understand them? What if they didn't speak my language? And how happy must these soldiers be to be walking through DC and not in a war zone? They are surrounded by people who are excited and happy to be here, they are excited to see soldiers - I hope that everyone who passes a soldier gives them a smile, a handshake, something to show them that they are appreciated.

I am not political and I am trying not to judge President Obama yet. I really pray that there will be change and already I see that he has brought hope to our country. But for the homeless man I saw sleeping on a grate steps away from the White House, change is still something to wait for.