Well, here we go.

Today, we welcome a new President. Well, welcome is subjective I guess. Ronald Reagan said, “If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.“

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I love America. I have loved it through Carter (gas lines); Reagan (tear down this wall!); Bush (no new taxes); Clinton (what the meaning of the word “is” is); Bush (mission accomplished), and Obama (hope and change.) Yes, I was around for LBJ; Nixon, and Ford but was too young to know anything other than what my parents thought of them. Honestly, the only thing I remember about my folks saying anything about those three was that LBJ would have Lone Star beer flown in to the White House from Texas. Lone Star. Ever have a Lone Star? Barf.

To all of the “Not my President” types: I feel your pain. I’ve been there. I’ve already mentioned it but I understand your fear of the direction our country will take. I’ve been there for 8 years and if today’s FB is any indication of where we’re at; well, we have a long way to go to love our countrymen. But I do. And I will continue to do so.

Also,yup, I’m nervous too. I voted for Trump. Partly because I could not in good conscious vote for Mrs. Clinton but also because I believed in part of his message. Not all, but enough that I cast my ballot. So ya, I want him to succeed. Because if he does, we do. That’s a good thing.

But this is America and if you don’t want to play nice, really, you have every right not to. People wanted me to give Obama a chance and really, at the end of the day, what choice do we have? I didn’t believe in his promises but I didn’t want him to fail, because if he fails, we fail. We didn’t want failure. This is like wanting your competition to fail just so you don’t have to step up and do your best. Not acceptable.

But we are divided. And there is a large portion of America who are choosing not to give Trump a chance and I fully embrace your right to do so. But I want to ask this: if Trump fails as President, how does that help you or your cause? If Trump fails, how does that help your neighborhood? If Trump fails, how does that help America? Are you willing to spend the next four to eight years angry and combative? Gawds I hope not. For your sake. For mine.

We can do this! Together. As long as we stay together (except for Fucknutt Francis next door. Screw him) we can do this.

We’re going to start right here. I first heard Audrey Rose Walker’s name on my near friends podcast: Fork Talk. She is a huge fan of Big Daddy and Hoss and was quite adorable when they did a field side interview with her and she called them out on a couple of items she disagreed with. OH! Audrey Rose was born without eyeballs and severe heart disease. Add to that: she’s amazing. I threw in a Masters group with her father, Jim Walker, in Pleasanton a couple of years ago and it was an absolute delight. Audrey Rose AND her siblings were entertaining and supportive of their dad throwing and I’m so fortunate to have had an opportunity to spend a little bit of my weekend with them.

This was also the first time I heard Audrey Rose sing. Ohhhhhhh, to sing like that! Something I will never do but have so much admiration for. She is so bold! I love that. She lives a bold life, one to admire and respect. And she sings. OH how she sings!

Here she is singing the National anthem this past fall at the San Francisco 49’rs game. She’s 9. You need to know that because once she opens her mouth, you’ll forget that she’s 9. No matter how you feel about what’s happening in Washington today, please love America. And don’t just love, be loving.

And be in awe of Audrey Rose. We can all do THAT together!

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressman and government officials, but the voters of this country.

Franklin D. Roosevelt