January 20. Inauguration Day. A new President of the United States of America.

Another election, another inauguration, another president. Every four years, the same old thing. 

January 20, 2009. Inauguration Day. A new President of the United States of America.

Another election, another inauguration, another president. But definitely not the same old thing.

I find it impossible to express the enormity of the moment for me. I awoke at 7am. I recorded three TV channels across two TiVos. I watched it live at work on a massive screen. I continued watching later events on my office computer. I came home and watched MSNBC’s continued coverage.  I instant messaged. I tweeted.I texted. I teared up. I called my mother.

Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

From my earliest exposure to now-President Obama at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, to his appearance on NPR’s Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, I’ve always said that this man could be president, I just never expected him to actually become president. I didn’t think this country was ready to elect a black man, that my dream would remain just that.

Then, after a hard-fought primary, America chose him to be the nominee of the Democratic party. An historic night itself, surpassed mere months later by his actual election. And now, today, it’s official. For the first time in our history, a black man, with his black wife, and his black daughters, will be the face of this country.

This is monumental. Everything that he and his family do from now on will have an additional, dare-I-say, tint of history to it. There are lot of “firsts” to come in the next four years, and I welcome every one of them.

Welcome to the club, Mr. President.