Inauguration Day Celebration

President Obama's inauguration is a reason to be proud of this country. Others have commented on the historic significance of this day and the reasons we have for optimism. I'm not a political blogger, so I won't offer any commentary other than to say that I'm ecstatic and also realistic about what our country can do.

Other than this historic election itself, what gives me hope is our youngest generation. When we watched the inauguration ceremony and President Obama's speech in class, the students' eyes were glued to the screen. They were into it, totally excited about this new era we're entering.

I can tell you from first hand experience that our teenagers are a great generation, but don't take my word for it. Our youngest generation is both idealistic and civic minded. They care about the world. When making career choices, they are more interested in making a difference in the world than making a difference in their wallets. They volunteer. They're ambitious. They're reversing the trends in teen pregnancies, crime, and drug use of their parents' generation.

The new generation, the millenials, are taking over. We are under new management. Just maybe there is actually some substance to all of this hype about hope and change.