Reflections on Change:

It’s kind of like breaking up with your boyfriend. You feel like crying, but you are more angry than sad. You feel justified and “in the right”. You can’t turn on the radio or TV without them reminding you of him and your mad/sad feelings. You have a stone in the pit of your stomach.

This is disappointment. Disappointment mixed with worry. I know this feeling very well.

I should start with full disclosure – I am a Democrat. With the exception of when I was wee, I always have been, having said that, in the 2000 primary races, I voted for John McCain to be the Republican candidate. I like John McCain.

This is also why I’m so familiar with that feeling – disappointment describes how I have felt about this country, its Executive administration, and its Legislative branch, for about eight years now.

And its why I’m here to give you the “cheer-up” speech that I never got. Cheer UP! I know its hard, because you believed in this guy, and his gal pal. You feel strongly about the same things they feel strongly about. You are a little worried that my crowd might just ruin everything for everyone…

But I’m begging you – that’s right – BEGGING you to give my guy a chance.

Please keep in mind that we didn’t vote AGAINST your guy, and we didn’t vote AGAINST what your guy feels strongly about. In fact, many of us feel strongly about those same things too!

This is an extremely intelligent guy (way smarter than me, and I think the world of myself!) who cares deeply about our country. He has spent his life helping the downtrodden, and he has done it without a huge family fortune or the benefit of a father who was also President. It may be hard to believe, because this contest has been SO divided and SO bitter, but my guy is a lot like you and me. He has a family, he was raised in a single-parent household, he goes to church (yes, a Christian church) and he loves the United States of America.

Heck, many of us didn’t even vote for our guy exactly, but in what he stands for. He stands for the American Dream – the pick yourself up by the bootstraps one. He stands for Hope. He stands for Youth, and he stands for Change.

It’s kind of like when you’ve got a cold, and you take that same old nighttime shivering sneezing stuffy-head fever so you can sleep medicine… but you find that it just isn’t doing the trick… so you go to Walgreens and buy something new, perhaps the cheaper, generic brand, maybe with some expectorant in it… and then lo and behold – you feel better!

Sometimes, change can be just what we need to get the junk out of our chest.

Look, I’m not sure if his change will be the change that works, but something different is definitely better than more of the same.

This is a historical time. I know that isn’t of comfort to you, but find solace in the notion that you’ve witnessed living history. And know that the historical value or your ticket was not lost on any of us either. What an amazing time to be a citizen of this Country! Anyway you sliced it, it would have been an astounding historical moment.

Your guy is a great guy. I really and truly mean that. I like your guy, and I know he would have also done his best to help this country stand up again.

All I’m asking is that you give my guy a chance.

And speaking from experience, even when you resign to give my guy a chance, and I know you are not just doing it because I asked so nicely, which I appreciate… even when you decide to give my guy a chance, you will remain skeptical. It’s okay, these feelings are normal. You will remain on the fence about actually liking the guy. That’s fine… as long as you have actually climbed up from the other side, and are sitting on the fence watching the show – that is good enough for me.

Please DO remain wary. Please DO continue to contact your Congressman and Senator. Please DO start emailing the White House. Please DO gather your friends and start a grass-roots movement to work for something you believe in. Please DO! This is what Democracy is all about, and we cannot be a Democratic society without dissention and dissatisfaction.

Tell my guy what you don’t like. Tell him you don’t want to pay higher taxes. Tell him you don’t want to be laid-off of work because of a tanking economy. Tell him what you think. Tell him!

And get ready to work. Because sitting on our butts and not doing anything to grease the wheels of this wagon is not going to get us anywhere.Like my guy or loathe him… Happy about things or worried… Ready or not for what comes next… Just do it… Stand up and make some noise!