The idea of being a citizen is not one I generally dwell on; it is not often on my mind, I don’t consciously think “and now I am acting as one of the multitude”. In many ways, I have always agreed with the theory that the life of man in a natural state would be “solitary,poor,nasty,brutish, and short, ” as Hobbes once said (and the Honors College repeatedly drummed into my brain through its inane curriculum).

Today, however, the term “upstanding citizen” is seared into my brain. I am inexplicably pumped to be an American. I feel the strings of citizenship binding me to my fellow Americans, to this land, and to our shared history.

These are my favorite excerpts from the Inaugural address:

“Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.“

“On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.”

“Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

“…know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”

” let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.”

Finally, this is a wordle I created using the transcript from President Obama’s Inaugural Address: