Picking Ourselves Up, Dusting Ourselves Off

"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." Do you recognize those words? Though they were originally sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the movie "Swing Time" in 1936, they were quoted more recently in Barack Obama's First Inaugural Speech. 

It is a great speech. In case you missed it, here is the a link to the text of it:  http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/swearing-in/address/address-by-barack-obama-2009

Here is also a link to the song lyrics if you'd like to read them:  http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/p/pickyourselfup.shtml

Today, America moves forward. The Midterm election is behind us. Regardless of the outcome or lack of outcome in some cases, the message remains that we must, "Pick Ourselves Up, Dust Ourselves Off, and start all over again." We CAN do it! Don't let the naysayers get you down. We can address the problems our country faces both here and abroad. 

I also looked at George W. Bush's First Inaugural Speech. You can read it here:  http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=25853 Why would I do that? Well, I was taught that a critical thinker compares and contrasts. They analyze people's words and look for deeper meaning. Here's what President Bush said our country needed to do, " Sometimes in life we're called to do great things. But as a saint of our times has said, "Every day we are called to do small things with great love." The most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone." 

Now, we can't do great things UNLESS everyone does their part. That's what he said. We need to make sure that EVERYONE has opportunity to do their part. We have our work cut out for us. But as Our President Barack Obama said, "Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends—honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosities, loyalty and patriotism—these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths; what is required of us now is a new era of responsibility—a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our Nation, and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but, rather, seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

Forward, Not Back