Surprising news to wake up to this morning: Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. The panel chose Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

Were you one of the 60% of Americans who watched Barack Obama's inauguration live? Maybe you watched it on TV, or streamed it over the Internet. Maybe you were one of the millions who traveled to Washington, DC to witness history in person. No matter where you were, it was a day none of us will soon forget. But now that the pageantry is behind us, what happens next?

Obama’s speech energized me. I felt a physical rush travel through my body. In awe, I watched as he embraced his wife and daughters. In wonder, I kept telling myself, “He won, he won!” Yes we can, yes we can, yes we can! As the camera slowly swept over the crowd in Grant Park, I saw hope and possibility in the eyes of the people. With excitement, I fell to sleep.

In the late afternoon my son and I were walking into our lobby, and there was a voter’s registration table with red, white, and blue balloons floating above the table. What got Baby Danny’s attention was the bowl of lollipops. “What is this table for?” he asked. “To vote,” I said. “Vote for what?” he asked. “The president,” I said. “Oh, you mean I can vote for Barack Obama,” he said with enthusiasm. I was soon in the elevator and Baby Danny entered with an elderly white woman. Her hair was cut short, and her glasses sat on the tip of her nose, like a schoolteacher's.