When I was a nursing student, back in the old days, I used to hate when the “older” nurses would tell us their “war” stories of how they became nurses: you know, they walked a hundred miles to get to work; they had 50 patients to 1 nurse, etc. It was the same with my parents (and any parent) who when their child complains about homework, going to school, etc., the parent would say, “When I was your age, we walked 20 miles to school…yadayayayada”. As I have aged, I realize one of the benefits of getting older is that one has the ability to reflect on past and present and give counsel (not berate) to those who are younger. Where am I going with this? Patience please. Another benefit of getting older is that you have more to say.

What motivated this post is our place in history and that is no more apparent than this new presidential year. This Inaugueration is one of many I have seen and is the most exciting and momentous one of my life.

The first inaugueration I remember was John Kennedy’s in 1960. I stayed home from high school to watch it on TV (yes, we had TV back then). He was so young and vibrant. I believed in him and became interested in politics and in what was good for our country. He ignited a spark in my generation to become involved in life and in righting wrongs. Because of this Kennedy movement, and it was a movement, and because of the innocence of youth (yes, those were the days when teenagers were still filled with innocence and wonder), I became active in pursuing the civil rights movement as my cause. In college, that continued and so did my love of the political process. Crazy huh?

In college the assasination of President Kennedy occurred. I cannot even go back to that time even though it is ingrained in my brain. Too painful. A shock to the system and death of the innocence and the belief that we, the USA, were untouchable. That horror and shock would be repeated on 9-11.

The presidential years began to wear on me and my counterparts. Some were good; some not so good; most especially the last 4 years. But there is much written about that so I won’t go there today. Today, I feel the spark of hope for our collective futures.

Yes, hope. Not because we have a “young” President, but because we have a calm hand that is very aware of the significance of the past in moving forward to the future. I believe this new president is thoughtful, pensive, and has learned the lessons of history to bring us together in a new tomorrow. It won’t be better in all ways right away. But it will get better. With knowledge and insight comes hope.

If you would like to learn more about the history of past inauguerations, ResourceShelf has sites listed. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

+ Fast Facts: Inauguration Resources #1 — Includes items from the U.S. Senate’s inauguration websites.
+ Inauguration Factfile from Infoplease.com
+ Master Inaugural Events Schedule, from ConklinScott, a political consulting firm

Also from the Library of Congress — “I Do Solemnly Swear,” which is “a collection of approximately 400 items or 2,000 digital files relating to inaugurations from George Washington’s in 1789 to George W. Bush’s inauguration of 2001. This presentation includes diaries and letters of presidents and of those who witnessed inaugurations, handwritten drafts of inaugural addresses, broadsides, inaugural tickets and programs, prints, photographs, and sheet music.”

LC’s Prints and Photographs Division has assembled a special collection of portraits of presidents and first ladies

Bartleby.com offers a complete collection of keyword-searchable inaugural addresses, for every president from George Washington to George W. Bush.

Here’s to a brighter tomorrow for all of us!