Today is a day for change.

Today, Barack Obama was sworn in as President (though shortly after he was technically already the president). During the oath, he got a little overly excited at the beginning of his oath and did a little giggling. On top of that, the Chief Justice did a little rewording of the oath, causing some confusing among my peers. They all seem to think Obama messed up. Sillies.

One thing I did notice was the interesting omission of Barack Obama's full middle name. Bush was introduced as George Walker Bush, but Obama was introduced not as Barack Hussein Obama, but Barack H. Obama. I understand the reasoning for it, but the fact that the omission was necessary demonstrates that we're not nearly as close to accepting and tolerating others as we think we are.

What got me today was not the look on people's faces, not the President's inaugural speech, but the official transfer of power. Just watching George W. Bush become the former president gave me goosebumps. Just hearing Obama's title change from 'President-elect' Barack Obama to 'President' Barack Obama made me tear up. The realization that we have a new president who is willing to make the changes to the policies and acts of the previous administration made me cry with happiness. I would have given anything to be in Washington, D.C. today. If I, someone who's not too fond of crying, cried at home, I wonder how full of emotion I would have been had I been there.

Today is marked as a tremendously beautiful day in political history. Good luck to the new administration. Consider this my pledge of service.

On Success

The ever-memorable Beatles' line, "all you need is love," is often quoted by people as a confirmation of the idea that as long as you have someone to love or someone who cares about you, you'll be fine. Success is measured by the level of love you have in your life. As beautiful as a concept as that is (especially as a rebuttal to the seemingly common notion of money measuring success), I suggest that those who can find true happiness and freedom through other means, those who can be happy without having to rely on others, are also to be admired.