The music is quiet. The barricades are down. The refuse collected. The klieg lights stored away. The platforms waiting for another event and many thousands of people have found their way home to places across the world. But the vision of that charismatic, energetic, confident, brilliant man who has come to lead our country will never fade from our hearts.
The new President represents hope and change, and finally, after the long years since the election
of John Kennedy, a president stands for a new generation taking charge. Many of us remember the excitement of that past election, how our plans were dashed by a man with a double name. President Kennedy raised our spirits to new heights and gave us meaning with his compelling words “the torch has been passed to a new generation”. Now a new election, a new leader, Barack Obama has received that torch and the hope washes over me again with jubilation so profound I am still shaking
my head.
I spoke with my daughter Samantha in Seattle, Washington and my friend Joy in Lake County about the possibility of seeing the inauguration, suddenly, with the generosity and good cheer of my husband, the trip became a reality.
I work at Orchard Park Assisted Living Community and was given a warm go ahead with the understanding that I would return home reporting my adventures to all our residents about the historic event. I was also asked to write a story for several others, thank you all for your confidence.
Less than 150 years ago the Federal Government determined our Congressional representation
and our taxes by counting African Americans as three fifths of a human being. Less than fifty years ago Alabama”s Governor proclaimed “segregation today, segregation forever”.
Forty years ago Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us “I have a Dream” and twenty years ago a black man first held the highest military position in the armed services. We now have achieved Reverend King”s dream, “we do believe”!
As we were coming into Washington on the commuter train January 20, the crowds grew and grew at each stop. Shortly before arriving at Union Station a passenger shouted
“YES WE CAN” which was chanted again and again by all the people. Soon someone shouted “I”m from Delaware ? then I”m from California ? Atlanta ? England ?North Carolina ? Canada ? El Paso ? happy voices proudly announcing their origins.
The doors opened and out flew those passengers carrying their exuberance into the station where “YES WE CAN” was heard until we were in the street. When bumping into someone on the very crowded streets a polite “excuse me or I am sorry was heard “let me help you while you put on your gloves” “be careful of the barricades” “would you like me to take a picture of all three of you?” Never have I encountered such mannerly comments, and from perfect strangers, many, many strangers.
Upwards of a million and one half strangers all caring about one another with words, deeds, hugs and laughter. These huge crowds of people were willing to withstand the whipping cold because of their unwavering desire to see the new President, maybe just hear him or just feel his presence. We just needed to celebrate the meaning of the moment.
The day before the Inauguration I stood on a star originally planned to mark the crypt of George Washington. Located in the Capital it is the spot where Presidents-elect await the escorts who will take them to the stage for the swearing in ceremony.
Words do not, somehow, describe the deep emotions a person feels in a place so filled with our countries history. A place where patriotism and pride mix together filling your being finding release only in silent flowing tears.
Later that day we walked to the Washington Monument, a soaring tower rising high above the grassy park between the Capital and the Lincoln Memorial. To the side of the beautiful tribute to Abraham Lincoln are the Memorials to the men and women who fought in World War Two and Vietnam. I had not seen The Vietnam Wall before this trip and was deeply moved by the length and breadth of the marble-carved memorial to service people of my generation lost in a war fought so far away in a land which then felt so foreign.
Nearby is a statue of military women holding injured and dying men in poses so real it makes you weep. It was very disturbing to see laughing young people sitting or posing on the statue while friends took their pictures. I wanted to admonish them for the disrespect but held back feeling old, sad and tired.
In the late afternoon we met a lawyer friend of my daughters near her apartment
off Dupont Circle. A large crowd had gathered around a tall plastic blow-up of George Bush. He had a Pinocchio nose which acted as a target for hundreds of shoes thrown by the noisy crowd. A bit of humor after the incident of the newsman and his shoe earlier in the month. It was so very reminiscent of my participation in the “doings” in San Francisco during the 60”s.
A Jennifer Hudson look alike, selling souvenirs, told us she had been at the same spot for all the Inaugurations since Bill Clinton”s first and had never seen anything like what was going on for President Obama: a mother-daughter duo staying several days just to see where their new president would be living and working: a young couple and their baby sitting in a restaurant watching
the events, tears of joy because they now really believe their daughter can have a chance to be what ever she wants to be: a group of women pooling their money to be in D.C.: an older female medical student wanting to say thank you for our country and our advantages: a third year law student wanting to see President Obama, volunteered to work as a counselor for an agency caring for 4,000 young students watching this momentous event. We all had a story. We all wanted to be there with the beautiful new family striding down Pennsylvania Avenue listening to cheers from the biggest audience
ever assembled in Washington.
This special man whose words ” hope and change and we can and we will” was sworn in as president at 12:04 before a crowd of maybe two million: millions more observed via satellite in cities and capitals around the world. My son in Italy wrote how especially proud he was to be an American that day as he watched with cheering friends from many countries.
Despite the euphoria of the days in Washington I harbor no illusion that partisanship and ill will have left our land. Polls indicate that the new President is more popular than any other president
however, I know how fickle we can be. Worldwide problems are deep rooted, long standing and enormously serious yet we believe he is well equipped to handle and solve most problems. Nelson Mandela spoke “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons
live together in harmony with equal opportunities”.
My personal hope is for Americans to put aside political, color and gender biases and work in that harmony in our own free and democratic society while making improvements for all with determination and confidence.
I felt that hope and I heard that hope during the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States.
