Welcome to my own new era at the dawn of a new beginning for our country.

With a new president in office, at long last, it really is a new year to follow through on resolutions. Mine is to write. Having changed jobs and being no longer fettered by "non-blog" regulations, I'm jumping in. Today's most stirring image, in my opinion, was watching the former president board Marine 1 as a private citizen and leave the Washington airspace. For those of us who never quite recovered from the 2000 election debacle, it felt like the end of another "long national nightmare." I was in college when Richard Nixon waved his stiff farewell to the White House staff gathered round the whirlybird as he departed in shame. There was an eerie connection between the event of 34 years ago and today's parting of another president who exhibited the same arrogance toward the citizens of this country. As moved as I was by watching President Obama's swearing in, listening to his piercing speech, watching the reactions of the throngs on the beloved Mall, the moment of greatest relief was realizing George W. Bush is gone. Where I live people still display their "W" bumper stickers. They will be loath to peel off the McCain/Palin (and in some cases, a revised "Palin" with the McCain removed) stickers. Such is it in the Bible Belt. This matters not. We have a chance to reclaim our rights under the Constitution; we have an opportunity to set our country as an example for others, not one to avoid. I wish the new President well in conquering the vast challenges facing the country. I believe he is up to the task. He is an unusual human being, period. Most people seem to get this and this realization will go a long way in giving him the support he will need, not only from Congress, but from all of us.