Well, it's hard to start to talk about anything today - January 21, 2009 - without commenting on the events of yesterday. The inauguration of Barack Obama was certainly one of the most memorable days of my life,

In January of 1973 I marched, as a member of THE U.S. Army Band, in the inaugural parade for Richard Nixon. This was a very difficult time for the country. As we marched we were booed, and had things thrown at us. I just kept thinking "HEY! I'm just a trombone player". But, the contentiousness was everywhere.

Yesterday seemed 180 degrees from that day. People seemed united. People seemed relieved. People seemed ready to believe that hope is an appropriate emotion again. I hope that they're right.

It occurred to me that hope is a necessary ingredient for change, whether that's change as dramatic as President Obama was describing, or just the simple, personal changes that lead us to a different lifestyle. In any case, one has to have hope.

As I face down the demons of food and drink, and weight, I think the first emotion I'm going to have to find is hope. If I am hope-less then I don't think any wishing and planning is going to do me any good at all.

So today, I'm going in search of hope. I'm going to look back at where I've been before I look forward to where I want to go. I'm going to find that ability to believe that change can happen. That change will happen.

At least, I hope it will.

John