All you needed to know was tucked behind the perfectly tailored cuffs of Birmingham's 30th mayor.

The socks. Did you see them? They were orange--orange enough to see from the far reaches of Linn Park, even on this splendid, squint-eyed Fall afternoon.

Orange like the changing leaves of this season and the transitory nature of this day.

I wasn't here seven years ago when William Bell--who was conspicuously (and unfortunately) absent on Tuesday when Randall Woodfin became his successor--was sworn in as mayor, but I'll venture his socks did not burst from the stage like Halloween candy. Or sunset at the beach.

No, Mayor Randall Woodfin's resplendent orange footwear told you all you needed to know on this day when much of the city was as giddy as a child on Christmas morning.

"Are we excited?", City Council President Valerie Abbott shared with the several thousand spectators who gathered in the mid-day sun to witness the inauguration festivities. "We're always excited when we receive something new."

Like a new drivers' license, she said. Or a new car.

Or best of all--and this is my own addition to her "new" list: a new attitude.

A new spirit of cooperation and collective vision that voters resoundingly declared was missing among our leaders.

A new level of service by the city's 4,400 employees as they better and more efficiently meet the citizens' needs.

A new commitment to restore and revive each of the city's 99 neighborhoods, to leave none of them behind as Birmingham continues to rise from the depths of its past.

And, finally, a new call to action for all of Birmingham's citizens--from its corporate leaders (whether they live in Birmingham or not) to its poorest--to play a more significant role in bringing about the change so many desperately want to see.

Need to see.

Must see.

"You cannot hide behind your privilege," declared journalist Jeff Johnson, "to think that those dying on the other side of town will not affect your neighborhood."

Not surprisingly, everyone who spoke said the right thing from the stage that adorned the front of City Hall.

The prayers were fervent, the musical performances--by students from Putnam Middle School at Parker High School, both of which had Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring out of her chair--inspiring and each word struck the right chord.

"If you want this city to be great," Johnson implored, "give your greatest to the city."

The city's true test, however, will be in how its leaders comport themselves over the next four years--whether they will be ten vessels rowing on their own direction or a flotilla guided towards common aims.

Abbott lofted the first peace offering.

"We are dedicated to working with this mayor to make good things happen for the citizens of this city, Abbot said during her remarks.

And during his address, Woodfin brought each of the nine councilors to the front of the stage and said repeatedly that he, along with our city council, would tackle and conquer Birmingham's myriad failings--including public safety, a strained infrastructure, struggling schools and the dichotomy between citizens who are thriving and those struggling to eat, work and hold on to a slippery slice of hope that tomorrow will be better.

The key to the next four years in our city--the most vital factor in whether Birmingham becomes the shining city on this side of the mountain it needs to be--rests upon the desire and ability of the mayor's office and city council to eradicate the kind of petty divisiveness that characterized the last four years, put aside selfishness, and truly collectively govern.

No one expects them to agree all the time, nor really wants them to do so--that would be boring, frankly.

And it would not push us to our best.

Tension, give, take, arm-wrestling and compromise comprise the foundation of good government. Great government, in fact. But it's a foundation that has all but crumbled statewide and nationally.

It cannot happen in Birmingham. Not any longer.

It's a pity that Bell, for whatever his reason(s), did not attend the inauguration. During Woodfin's address, while paying homage to his predecessors--"...the eight years of Bernard Kinkaid, the 20 years of Richard Arrington and the two years of Larry Langford" (which drew a rousing cheer from Langford loyalists)--the mayor acknowledged Bell with the most sincerest of praise, saying he deserves honor, respect, and recognition for his contributions to the city during his time in office.

He even roused the crowd by repeating the PG-13 version of Bell's "colorful" (this is a PG-13 site, too) outburst at the end of the Magic City Classic last month when he took the stage following T.I. and said, "We're gonna take the city to the [insert colorful word here] top!"

In Woodfin's versions, he just pointed skyward, smile that wry smile we're starting to get used to, said, "We're gonna take it to the [pause, for effect] top!"

Had he been there, I'm all-but-certain Bell would have been feted with a rousing, sincere and adoring ovation.

It was a missed moment.

Like much of the city, I am excited about the "new." But we've all seen how quickly that new Christmas toy no longer excites.

Let's hope that the excitement of the "new" day excites us each day. At least for the next four years.

Watch my First 100 Days interview with Woodfin: