The Turning Tide

In and of itself, the last week has been tumultuous both personally and politically.

Since my last check-in, Kaia and I spent the better part of the last week checking out some apartments (finding not one but two viable options) and setting in motion the paperwork for her official Eastward jaunt. Inasmuch as this process -- moving -- is an upheaval for her, it's oddly scary in a happy way for me.

We've been talking about her relocating to NYC for so long that it made me wonder whether she ever would. I knew her heart was in the right place, but for someone that -- despite being a world traveler -- never lived further than a half-hour from her family proper, the move was and remains a huge thing. She and I both are conscious it's only a six-hour plane ride from her family -- and a half-hour versus six hours is not a huge disparity, all things considered -- but it's still a mental, emotional step that is big.

As for me, I'm at once both unnerved a bit and incredibly happy. We discussed this and both of us agree it's a big step, one that will have significant implications on both our lives, both individually and together. Initially, there's no ring and no one-knee proposal, but we're both fully aware that this is us moving forward for the rest of our lives.

(Pause).

As for the other excitement -- as if anything else could compare to the above-described news -- the last week or so has been interesting vis-a-vis Barack Obama's impending inauguration. While I am firmly -- and proudly -- committed to the politics and the government of this nation, I -- as a conservative -- can't complain about the manifestations from the past eight or so months that have led us to this day. There are some pro's and con's about Mr. Obama's incoming administration, but overall I am pleased that he's going to be in the driver's seat. I thought John McCain was the wrong man for the job, and I'm glad the country got it right by electing Mr. Obama. I'm also glad that we finally moved forward enough to recognize that a black man can and should be elected if he's the better candidate, and while I don't necessarily agree with every decision he's offered or some of the choices for his cabinet, I think he's a good man and I think he'll be a successful President. Without going out on too much of a limb, most -- if not all -- of us can agree that he'll be more successful than his predecessor.

I saw this article on Slate this AM and it resonated with me on some level. Aside from the fact thatthe author, Rachael Larimore, is a self-confessed conservative like me, I think she presented a legitimate perspective of how we as a people need to move forward. In typical, unfettered times -- hopefully we all remember what those were like -- the political mentality in this country was us versus them. And by that I don't mean "the US versus communism," "the US versus terrorists" or "the US versus dictators." I mean the Republicans versus the Democrats. Invariably, thanks to Alexander Hamilton and the other Founding Fathers, the notion of factions -- the "us versus them" mentality -- has served us and will continue to serve us well.

But the entire point of the matter is not balancing this precarious pair of divergent paths on another branch of the "us versus them" tree. There are enough concerns facing Mr. Obama's administration -- international terror, the economy, the Middle East, et al -- to supercede the differences between liberal and conservative and Democrat and Republican. Whereas I identify myself as a conservative, I recognize and concur that change does need to be infused into the system. If you ask casual economists, many -- if not all -- will tell you that the type of recession we're experiencing is nothing that unusual. The problem is the cavalcade of excessive spending that this country has experienced over the past several years that pushed us further into the red. The recession we're currently facing -- on its surface -- will eventually be phased out (with responsible spending and a lack of spending) and we'll be back to being in equilibrium. So for anyone -- whether liberal or conservative -- to worry the sky is falling is relatively wasteful. Things do -- and in this case, will -- be cured. And frankly, while he's not "my" guy, I think Obama is plenty capable of helming that return to equilibrium.

I suppose, on this Inauguration Day, my point is not to bash a guy with whom I disagree with on some minute points, but instead to focus on the fact that a) he's a good man; b) I have confidence he's capable of leading this country, and leading it well; and c) rather than focus on the internal "Us vs. Them" mentality, we should begin -- at least temporarily -- remembering that we're a "We" and that the sooner we accept that supposition -- and embrace it -- the faster we'll cease talking about the Inauguration and start discussing ways of moving us -- this country -- forward and in the right direction.

-B-