on the inauguration

When the election results came in, I was alone on the train, riding home from a late day at work. That evening, I watched the results come in for as long as I could, and then I ventured into the realm of radio silence that is the train ride home. The message came via text from , and I cried alone.

Today, I cried among my friends, my colleagues, and my students, as we filled the tv lounge in our student center, all eyes glued to the screen. We laughed, we clapped, we cheered, and we smiled. A lot.

Did the world change today? Not really. Will it change in the next four years? Probably not drastically. We don't know any of this for sure, and if the world doesn't change all that much, I won't be shattered by disappointment.

One thing I do know is this: After the World Trade Center came down, I didn't sleep. I've always battled anxiety in the wee hours of night, but for those weeks that followed that Tuesday morning, I was too scared to lay down in my bed and close my eyes and listen to the quiet of the darkness.

I'm going to sleep well tonight.