My fellow Americans, today is the 275th Day in the Age of Obama…and

It’s also exactly one month since I became an American Citizen.
Here is what I started to write about three weeks ago

I still cannot utter these words without tearing up--but at long last, after more than 20 years of living in this country--I became a citizen on the 22nd of September.

Some of you might remember me, some might not, but I have been one of the most liberal voices on this blog since I joined up in November 04, when I discovered others just like me, believed that things had gone quite wrong in OHIO.

But those times have passed and I don’t want to bore anyone with my life story here, but suffice to say that my citizenship was hard won, with a steep price to pay in more ways than one.

I actually never intended to go for naturalization, but then Barack Obama arrived on the scene and I knew I couldn’t leave the US just yet after all, and when he became president I knew I’d have to stick around so I could vote at least once

…A lot of water has flown under the bridge since I wrote that chapter above, most of it a dark murky color, representing the awful financial struggles most of us are fighting right now, and the battle rages on. (Also my access to my PC was reduced to fifty %--when my son’s notebook needed to be repaired and we still don’t have it back) so it was hard to find time to write.

Now the time has come and I am about to send off my first ballot ever—and it really feels good and empowering. I hope that all of you are also going out to do your civic duties, as that is the only way that we can all bring the change that President Obama has promised us.

I’ve made a conscious effort to stay away from any harsh criticism of the administration for now—as I’ve stated many times before—because no matter what--I can sleep better knowing that we have such an intellectual president for the first time ever since I’ve lived here, and one by one small step at a time the world is becoming slightly less scary, at least to me!

So thank you Mr. President for putting your life on the line for us everyday, and continuing to slowly undo all the damage done; not only to the USA, but the whole world in the last nine years.

I’m sure in time you will come to see the folly of increasing the war-effort in Afghanistan, and do the right thing diplomatically, rather than wiping the whole region out, as your political opposition is encouraging you to do.

SO my fellow Americans, go and vote…I will!