Today we usher in a big change in style, viewpoint and tone.

For those who have a problem with change, what the nation is about to experience may cause more anxiety than we’ve known in quite awhile.

What we will see today is supposed to be a celebration of the peaceful transfer of power in America, but this change is going to take some getting used to.

After a bitter, divisive election and a controversial post-election period that’s been anything but peaceful, the day that’s been on most people’s minds is now here.

At noon today, when Donald Trump takes the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States, we will usher in not only a change of leaders, but a big change in style, viewpoint and tone. Ringling Brothers may be pulling up stakes, but the Trump show could prove to be just as entertaining, unpredictable and occasionally, scary.

The differences between what we’ve experienced with Barack Obama these past eight years, and what we anticipate will happen with Trump, are startling.

We will move from the cool and often sober demeanor of Obama to the fiery and often angry Trump.

We will move from the man who promised hope and change to the man who says he will make America great again.

We will move from the cerebral, thoughtful Obama to the impetuous, tantrum-prone Trump.

We will move from a great orator to a man who makes most of his pronouncements in 140 characters on Twitter.

We will move from a man who is wary about Russia to one who is having a bromance with Vladimir Putin.

And we will move from a man who is leaving office with an impressive 60 percent approval rating to a man who is entering the White House with the lowest approval rating of any incoming president in the past three decades.

If the two men have anything in common, it’s that both like golf and both defeated Hillary Clinton in elections.

As we wonder what the days and months ahead will bring with Trump in charge, it is a good time to look back for a moment on Obama’s two terms.

Like all presidents, Obama had his share of successes and failures. And he faced more than his share of crises — including when he took office in 2009, and the nation was on the verge of economic collapse.

Obama advanced a stimulus plan that prevented a depression. He also bailed out the automobile industry and saved countless jobs.

Say what you will about Obamacare, but millions of people would put that in the success column. People who couldn’t afford health insurance have it now. People who couldn’t get insurance because of pre-existing conditions can get it now. You can debate the flaws and costs of the Affordable Care Act, but there’s no debating millions of people are better off because of it.

Obama pushed for the end of the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. He directed the demise of Osama bin Laden. He worked toward normalizing relations with Cuba and putting Iran’s nuclear program — at least for now — on hold. There were no major scandals in his administration. He looked for diversity, as well as ability, in his Cabinet and Supreme Court appointments. He pushed for climate-change legislation.

Obama has also had his failures.

Despite having a Congressional majority when he took office, he was unable to use the power of his office to pass meaningful gun control legislation. His relationship with Israel is chilly at best.

He promised to close the prison at Guantanamo and didn’t get it done. He didn’t act decisively in Syria. There has been no comprehensive immigration reform bill passed. Racial divisions are as prominent as ever.

As for Obama’s legacy, that will be for history books to decide, although Trump has vowed to overturn much of Obama’s work. For five years, Trump was at the forefront of the ludicrous birther movement that tried to delegitimize Obama’s presidency. While the two men try to be cordial, there is an obvious coolness between them, due in no small part to disparaging comments on both sides during Trump’s campaign against Clinton.

Trump’s style of leadership will certainly be a stark change from what we’ve seen the past eight years. Ever since declaring his candidacy, Trump has shown that he shoots from the hip, saying anything that comes to mind. He is notoriously thinskinned, taking offense at any perceived slight. On Twitter, he has gone after the likes of Alec Baldwin and Saturday Night Live (“not funny”), Meryl Streep (“overrated”) and anybody else who failed to give him what he felt was the proper respect (like long-time Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.)

Trump said he deplored political correctness and proved it by insulting countless people and groups, and picking needless fights without apology. His campaign rallies were wild, loud and occasionally violent.

Obama, on the other hand, has been measured in his comments. Insults were not part of his style. There are certainly many people who believe Obama was too careful and timid in his actions and words, but that was just part of the man’s style. The dignity of the office was obviously very important to him.

Indeed, the two men have very different world views and styles of leadership. We’ll notice that immediately.

We don’t know what to expect from Trump, but around noon today, you will no doubt be aware the times they are a-changing. Ready or not, be prepared to hang on tight.

The differences between what we’ve experienced with Barack Obama these past eight years, and what we anticipate will happen with Donald Trump, are startling.