Change....the new buzz word. Change is coming to America, change is coming to Washington. Yes We Can t-shirts, bumper stickers, and pins can be seen everywhere. On January 20, 2009, America will embark upon creating a new history for itself. Personally, I am more than ready for this new president to become a part of creating America's new history. The world is ready to create a new history. Change on a global level, a national level and a local level. Change is relative. For instance, while waiting for my husband to do some shopping for his son on the day after Christmas, my sister Jackie and I sat in the center of the mall and did some people watching. After about 20 minutes I told her "I have not seen one authentic person walk past us in this mall since we have been sitting here." In the time that we sat waiting, all the women that walked past us had the same style haircut. The inverted bob, like Victoria Beckham. They carried the same style handbag, the knock off from Dooney & Burke...the one that looks like cow leather and they all had the same style shoes. It tells you a lot about society.....change is relative on many levels. My stepson is the same way, not one authentic thought in his brain. If society says Gap is cool, he will wear Gap...if society tells him Gap is out, then out with all the Gap. I find the "herd mentality" draining. Authenticity and character are high on my priority list. Authenticity is one of the reasons I voted for and support Barak Obama. The man is completely authentic. As soon as he held a press conference and addressed the issues of race in America, I knew he would be our next president. Not many people have the balls to go against the "herd mentality" and address the American public in regards to race relations in America as he did, and so eloquently. Even that garnered respect from his critics. The second reason I voted for him is that he is culturally aware. He has substance. The third reason is because he is pragmatic. I hope that he will use those same character assets to go against the "herd mentality" regarding American foreign policy. America has never really changed its status quo in regards to foreign policy in the world. Some issues are impervious to change. I am not banking on Obama doing much "changing" there. One can only go against the herd for so long before getting trampled. I have faith that he will find a pragmatic way of dealing with America's foreign policy problems, though. He certainly seems to have the substance to do so. I do believe he will take on a different posture from the previous president. On a personal level, I embrace change. I started making significant changes in my life after my parents died. I have never looked back, only forward. Change for others is not so easy. It takes skill and confidence to live a life without regret. My principal told me the other day she wished that Obama had never won the US presidency...maybe then I would not be leaving her and my school to move back to the states. Change on a local level....perhaps for her it's not so easy. Obama is not the reason I am moving back to the US, but the change in the American administration sure is a perk. I need to make some changes in my own attitude towards people. For instance, I have zero empathy for weak men. Once I realize that a man has no backbone, no strength to stand up for what he knows to be right in the face of adversity....I immediately lose respect for him and can completely emasculate him without regret. I am putting a half hearted effort into changing this tendency, primarily due to the fact that I cannot get past the point that if a man doesn't have the balls to stand up for what is right on his own, why should I empathize with that? I also have zero tolerance for whimpering, simpering women who tolerate maltreatment from others and never take responsibility for their own happiness and well being. I am working on developing more empathy in this area, too. It is not easy, but I realize not everyone is a lion heart. I also need to change my tolerance level for others that have no interest in becoming more aware of what is happening in the world around them, or their uncanny ability to be superficially informed from only one news source??!!!! Change...it is all relative. Americans are pinning their hopes on Barak Obama to bring about change in the US and our image abroad. I wish him luck and I have no doubt that he will be a faithful steward to the United States. I just hope that Americans realize that the word change can be used as a noun and a verb......which requires action. Action not only on a governmental, state and local level...but an individual one as well.

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt