I didn’t get a chance to see any of the inaugural address today but I liked this part as reported at the washingtonmonthly.com
Consider some of the examples Obama held up as things to reject: “petty grievances,” “short-cuts,” “those who prefer leisure over work” — qualities reminiscent of adolescence. And who was held up for praise: “workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job,” “a parent’s willingness to nurture a child,” troops who volunteer to serve as the “guardians of our liberty” — examples of maturity.
the best part for me was the idea of people willingly cutting their hours so a friend can keep their job, although I think this attitude might lead to a little more leisure, and perhaps people spending more time with their children. I hope the idea here is to spend less time chasing material goods and more time trying to make the country better and more equitable for everyone who lives in it.
I have high hopes right now I guess in a few years we will see if those hopes are justified.