At times the journey from Obama's announcement 2 years ago to run for the Presidency to the inauguration seemed like it might never end. But the inauguration came and went. The spectacle was heightened by expectation. "This is Obama's moment" was among the sentiments. What would his equivalent of Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you..." or FDR's "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" grand rhetoric be? As it turns out, his speech was less electrifying than anticipated, but (from my point of view) perfectly tuned to the times. With 2 wars, Guantanamo, chaos in the Middle East, Iran and North Korea flaunting their nuclear ambitions, a global economy run off the rails, major environmental issues, and host of domestic challenges, soaring statements filled with lofty ideals would have been out of place. What has impressed me about Obama the past 2 years has been his steady, consistent, "no drama Obama" style that conveys confidence. He has used his oratorical gifts wisely over the past year, giving arguably his finest speech last Spring when he discussed race in response to the Reverend Wright flare-up (I thought this speech more attuned to reality than his remarks at the 2004 Democratic convention), yet also showing us that sweeping emotion is not required in all instances. Sometimes we just want to see that the guy at the top is in touch with reality. When I watched his inaugural speech, I will admit that there was a tiny part of me that wanted a more emotionally stirring call to cause. But as the speech progressed, what I heard was something more important--a call to action. By telling us that we must adjust to the world around us, he was also telling us that we can no longer live in an American cocoon, ignorant of the challenges confronting those beyond our shores. In effect, he was politely yet pointedly telling Americans to pull our collective heads out of the sand and become active participants in solving the challenges that confront us. I haven't felt this good about the future of the US in years.