Great Expectations: Happy Inauguration Day!

So I have been thinking for some time about my official Inauguration Day blog post. This election has brought about more buzz than previous elections, especially for my generation. It has been an exciting countdown since November 4th and the timing of the Inauguration and all that we remember for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday couldn't have been better.

I have a number of memories from this campaign however, with that being said, it was still hard to choose the one that compelled me the most...until today. I was driving to work when I heard an interview with Jay-Z (my hip-hop hero) where they asked him his feelings about the campaign.

In the interview he indicated that not until he was almost 40 years old did he have any type of interest in politics. And no, it wasn't just because Barack Obama happened to be African-American (although it is wonderful). He went on to describe how before now, he and many others like him, did not and had not voted because they had not had any interaction with politics. The issues that had been discussed in previous elections were not what he defined as issues on a day-to-day basis. Yes, the economy, taxes, war, foreign policy, etc. are of all great importance, but when you're just trying to survive, literally day by day, not so much. For him and all those he represented, politics never trickled down to who they were and what they experienced.

Sadly, this was the case in communities around the country and ultimately around the world. If you don't interact with politics, politics do not necessarily interact with you. It's a sad Catch 22. He went on to describe how exciting and inspiring it is to now have a minority as President but even more so to have someone who understands plights other than their own.

I second that and am hopeful for all of the changes that I feel President Obama can and will make. I definitely understand that these will not happen overnight, not even in an ideal four year term. As President Obama stated in his address today, "We as a nation will extend a hand to others as long as they are willing to unclench their fist." I truly believe that it is a new beginning in many respects and plan to live this year as such.

I invite you to do the same. Get rid of the to-do lists and just do it. Plan but with a purpose; a plan is only good if it's put into action. Be open to change and it will come to you. If nothing else, enjoy each day to the fullest, ask for help when you need it and when you don't know what to do, do nothing!

Thank you President Obama for rekindling the hope that many of us have lost. Happy Inauguration Day!

A Real Life "24" Mission

Anyone who is a "24" fan is used to the anxiety-provoking, action packed series on Fox with Kiefer Sutherland. (If you're not, you need to go to this website: www.fox.com/24) Essentially, Kiefer Sutherland plays the role of Jack Bauer, a special agent. Jack is tasked with extreme terrorism cases and has to go above and beyond his call of duty to get the job done. Sometimes it means saving lives, sometimes it means taking them.

A lot of people (me included) watch shows like "24" for the racing, conspiracy-filled, political nightmares to see how they end. Well, if we're not careful, we (meaning the U.S. Government) will have a real life "24" mission on our hands...

During the presidential campaign, President-Elect Obama discussed his intentions to close the controversial prison at Guantanamo Bay. I remember hearing this promise and thinking, "Wow, that's a great step toward improving our international relations."

Since its operations transitioned to a military prison in 2002, the treatment of prisoners there has been questioned as the U.S. Government held that these prisoners were not protected under the Geneva Convention. Organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have facilitated regular communication with the detainees in order to connect them with friends and/or family, gain understanding of their treatment while detained and act as a liaison on their behalf.

Knowing that promises are often made during the campaign that are never fulfilled, I was even more pleased when I heard that President-elect Obama had requested the creation of a transition plan.

According to the Washington Post, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates instructed his staff to have a plan completed by the inauguration on Jan. 20th as it has been speculated that it will be one of the President's first orders of business.

There are at least 6 major areas that must be addressed in this plan:

• assured protection of American citizens that work at the prison
• a legal remedy that will still hold the detainees accountable
• negotiation of homes for up to 60 detainees who have been cleared for release but cannot return to their home countries for fear that they will be captured and tortured
• identification of resources to find or build detention facilities in the U.S.
• negotiation with authorities who are not willing to house terrorist suspects
• possible legislation to prevent detainees from seeking asylum in the U.S.

While admirable, it is so much easier said than done. Firstly, how do you develop legislation for detainees for whom we aren't even 100% sure why they were initially detained? Sixty detainees have been cleared for release; progressive, yes. However, if they can't return to their homes and they hold any animosity towards the U.S. for their initial capture and detention, I don't think we can expect them to forgive and forget so easily.

Given the varied disagreement on the use of government resources in military manners, from where will these resources come for new facilities? Knowing what we do about military budgets, there is a good chance that this plan may not bode so well in a suffering economy. How cooperative will authorities be in housing terrorist suspects and by doing so, are we increasing our vulnerabilities?

There are a litany of questions that can be asked and this is undoubtedly no small task. I believe that President Obama is bringing a fresh perspective based on strategic vision and humanitarianism to a segmented administration.

In the meantime, I guess we'll have to stay tuned to see what happens next but I don't think it's a bad idea to have Jack Bauer on call just in case...

P.S. Be sure to tune in to the Inauguration on Tuesday. Need ideas on where to watch, check out these suggestions on CNN!

I'm turning 26 - and it's kinda scary...

I already know that my friends, family members, and coworkers that are older than me probably view this as a total non-issue but anyone who knows me knows that I always have 1,267 things to do simultaneously in the span of 48 hours.

I, like other people I know, had my "By the time I'm 25" list of things that I wanted to accomplish. 2008 was not the best year but it definitely wasn't the worst. A lot of exciting things happened and although I didn't get through as much of the list as I would have liked, I did make some progress. The further away 25 started to appear and the closer 26 became, I wondered "What about my list?"

Well, guess what happened to that list? I lost part of it in the midst of my stack of "To Do" lists and what is left is now the "I'm turning 26 and it's kinda scary" list.

1. I used to believe that I wanted to be married by the time I was 25. Well once I turned 25, I realized that I didn't even know who I was yet and until I figured that out and learned how to accept that, no one else would. Most recently, I started a new relationship with one of the most genuine, loving people that I've ever met. If I had been married by the time I was 25, I would have missed out on the best thing in my life right now.

2. I used to believe that by the time I was 25 I would be at the pinnacle of my career and living a lavish life as a member of the glitterati very much like the women I envied on "Sex and the City." Soon after, I realized that at 25 I was still trying to figure out what career I even wanted and that most likely the career I started would ultimately be different than the career I chose. While there are many glamorous benefits to Manhattan, Chicago is not Manhattan, but I'm okay with that.

3. I used to believe that I would have my Master's degree by the time I was 25; not an incredibly lofty goal and reasonably attainable, right? After being on the accelerated path and finishing my Bachelor's degree in 3 years versus 4, I took a much needed 2 year break and wouldn't have traded it for the world. Those 2 years were very formative for me and allowed me to experience the world in a very real, organic way. I will have my Master's at 26, and will be able to offer myself and the world a much better perspective.

I don't specifically remember what else was on the "By the time I'm 25" list but I remember it being something about writing a book, traveling the globe and changing the world. Although some of these things have not been completed yet, when I turned 25 I realized that the one thing that I have (for all intents and purposes) is time, and that isn't so scary.

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