We Have Our Travel Arrangements!

We are all but there!

We have purchased our airline tickets, have made arrangements for a place to stay (thanks to big brother and sis-in-law, Bob and Debbie), and have purchased train and metro tickets.

It is becoming more real as we begin planning out our itinerary for each day of our stay.

In 20 days we will witness one of the most historical events of my generation!

Watch this space as we get closer to the event and our plans continue to develop.

Inauguration Bound

I realize that in my original post I mentioned that this blog was going to be about our travels to the inauguration as well.

If you are interested in following that, please go to the posts under "Inauguration Travels".

I'll post updates to our progress in getting to the inauguration, pictures of the event, and, of course, commentary.

If you'd like to see anything special, let me know!

You Can Make A Change

Please take time to visit the links under "Make A Difference".

President John F. Kennedy once said, "Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world."

Take the first step by visiting Care2 and learning how you can make a change in the world by simply by clicking to donate or using its many tools to help begin striking a balance in the world.

If you want something a little more hands-on, visit Volunteer Match, a site that helps people connect with causes they can support.

Or, if you want to follow Charlie's path, visit the sites of the political parties and volunteer your time. Work a phone bank leading up to an election. Walk door-to-door to disseminate information about issues and candidates.

The point is that we do have the power to make a difference.

Never doubt...

...that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead

After a summer of volunteering on the phone bank and going door to door, Charlie was given the opportunity to drive in [then] Senator Biden's motorcade when he visited Fox High School.

Not only did it afford Charlie the chance to drive fast on highways otherwise blocked for traffic, but it also gave him a glimpse into the larger world of political figures.

It takes a lot of people to run a political campain, "handlers", speech writers, planners, Secret Service and volunteers. Charlie had the chance to talk to many of these people over his 24 hours of driving in the motorcade. It's an experience he will never forget and all he had to do was volunteer.

Not long after driving for Biden, Charlie volunteered as a representative for the Obama campaign on Election Day. His main responsibility was to make sure everyone had the opportunity and ability to vote. But he did a lot more - handing out water, snacks, guiding people where to go, and talking to voters. Some people were much less than magnanimous, refusing Charlie's offers of help because of his political affiliation. For the most part, though, his day was a fulfilling one.

Will these things make a difference in a person's life? Perhaps not. It didn't do anything to end poverty, cure disease, or stop global warming. Well, not directly. Maybe someone will remember the nice man that helped them on Election Day. Hopefully they will remember, too, that this man was there as a proponent of change.

And So It Began

We can't solve
problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
~ Albert Einstein

This entire journey began when Charlie began volunteering for the Obama campaign, helping whenever and wherever he could.

At the time Charlie, like many people, believed that things simply cannot continue the way they are. Gas prices were sky rocketing, our economy was on a slippery slope (although not yet officially in a recession), our environment was suffering, and soldiers were dying every day.

Unlike many people, Charlie is not one for empty words. If you're going to complain, be prepared to do something about it. So he did, by volunteering to make sure the candidate who supported the change he felt this country needed was elected into office.

This blog is about that experience, so maybe others will realize the value in standing up and taking action, not just waiting for others to do it for you and hoping you can get the results you want.

Obviously, Charlie's and many, many others work paid off! We are counting down the days until President-Elect Obama is sworn in as not only our nation's 44th President, but also the first African-American President, an event that has already made its mark in our history books.

This blog is also about major event as Charlie and I prepare for and make our trip to Washington, D. C. to witness, first-hand, the swearing in of the next President of the United States of America.