Silly Mom Thoughts

Inauguration Day has come and gone, leaving Americans with a “Now what?” feeling. We crave change, we want to see our economy turn around, and we want something to happen with the war in Iraq. Something that doesn’t entail a second 9/11 or put our troops in jeopardy. Of course, all of this will take time, as President Obama has pointed out a number of times.

I am rooting for President Obama. I want him to succeed because I want the naysayers hushed. However, I do not envy him in his current situation.

I Don’t Envy President Obama

As the first black president, he has become somewhat of an icon for an entire race. That would make me immensely uncomfortable. If I were President Obama, I would like to say to my admirers, “Woah, hold up. I am just another guy, people.” Though I am proud that our country has moved past race and finally elected someone who wasn’t an old white guy, I don’t think it’s okay to put President Obama on a pedestal. I don’t envy President Obama because, as is the case for any president, every small move he makes, every word he utters will be put under scrutiny. But, I would venture a guess that he will be scrutinized even more by some, especially those who did not support him in the first place. He has a lot going for him in his presidency, but a lot going against him such as his age and lack of experience. I am truly rooting for President Obama to kick this country’s ass into gear, I’m simply hoping he can fulfill all of his promises.

I Don’t Envy First Lady Michelle Obama

Watching those tabloid TV shows last night on all of the coverage of Inauguration Day, it is clear that Michelle Obama will have to deal with some things that former First Ladies didn’t. She is an icon for women, she’s an icon for African-American women, she’s a fashion icon, and she’s a mother, not to mention the wife of the president. That’s a whole lot for one person to have to carry on their shoulders. I can only imagine being in the public spotlight like that. Think about it. For the most part, no one had ever heard of Michelle Obama before this whole presidential thing came about. Suddenly, she’s one of the most popular women in America. That would absolutely trip me out. God forbid I ever be in Michelle Obama’s shoes. My guess is that the paparazzi wouldn’t take kindly to me going out with no makeup, in stained jeans and a baseball hat to the grocery store. Phew, that would be a lot of pressure.

Plus, the wifely part of me wonders how much having a husband/president puts a strain on a marriage. Heck, my husband is an accountant and that creates enough stress on our marriage when he has to work long hours. I can’t imagine the toll a marriage takes when we’re talking being married to the President of the United States!

I Don’t Envy Sasha and Malia Obama

Nope, not one bit. They didn’t ask for this popularity. They didn’t ask to be thrown into the sites of millions of people around the globe. I hope that the girls can grow up with as much of a “normal” childhood as possible, but seeing them on stage with the Jonas Brothers at the Children’s Inaugural Ball tells me there will be very few normal things they’ll experience in their childhood. I gather, though, from interviews with the Obamas that Michelle Obama is very much the Mother Bear type and will do everything in her power to shield Sasha and Malia Obama from the negative influences of TV and the media. I honestly hope so. It made me smile, every time I saw Malia Obama with her digital camera constantly poised at the ready to take pictures. There was such an innocence in that to me. Forget the fact that there will be hundreds of professional pictures taken of the momentous occasion, Malia wanted her own documentary of the day. I hope she doesn’t lose that.

(On a side note: How cute are those names?! Love them. And the girls are so cute too, of course.)

At any rate, I don’t envy the Obamas. I wish them the best of luck, and hope that everyone, regardless if they voted for Obama or not, backs up the president. (Well, at least unless he really effs up. *Wink*) My only true worry is for their safety. There are some serious sickos out there, and I worry for the well-being of the Obama family, particularly President Obama himself. I wonder if I’ll ever find myself not cringing every time he steps out into public. I am simply thankful, as I’m sure the Obama family is, that we have such solid security measures in place for our president and his family.

I have to say, it is refreshing having a young dude in the White House. Not to mention the fact that he seems to have a fairly good humor about himself. Perfect example of this was Jamie Foxx’s dead-on impression of Barack Obama at the Lincoln Memorial celebration on January 18th. What began as a serious statement, turned into Jamie Foxx quoting Obama, in his own unique way of speaking. Obama, his wife, and the Bidens were all laughing, a good sign to me that we don’t have a bunch of lame-os in the White House.

Pretty ballsy of Jamie Foxx, but oh-so-funny. Thank goodness we have a president who can take a joke.

At any rate, I’m looking forward to what the future brings. We needed someone new in the White House. Now, I’m not bashing Bush, because honestly, anybody who was in the White House for 9/11 would have a difficult time coming back from such an atrocity. But, I’m hoping with a new outlook and a new leader of our country, we’ll see things changing… for the better.

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