Days like today, I sort of wish I were a political person. I wish President Obama the best as he embarks on his new job. But I don’t expect his work to have all that much impact on my life. This is probably close to heresy for many of the people I know.

Given a choice, I certainly prefer that the person who represents my country in the world be literate, charming, intelligent, compassionate, and lots of other good things. Who wouldn’t? But under most circumstances, even the most powerful person in the world is not going to change my life that much from way over there in Washington. My quality of life depends on the people I live with, on the choices I make myself, on the character I develop.

So I don’t expect the inauguration to change my life, except in the most indirect of ways. We have a new politician in charge. He may be the shiniest, most historic, saintliest, top-of-the-line model ever, but he’s still a politician. All that change in the promises? We have to make it ourselves. Which is as it should be.

(And, lest you think I’m too curmudgeonly for words, I am glad we have a new president and one I actually voted for. May he do well and do good!)