Our 44th President
Freezing and waiting
It was crowded. We were far away but on the mall for this historic event!
The crowds in the city
What a fun weekend to be in DC. While some locals left town, as others "took over the city", I was thrilled to be here and live in the excitement and energy that the crowds brought. Just walking to the gym, like a normal Saturday, Jonathan and I were stopped by an impressive motorcade complete with 12+ cars, vans with secret service officers poking out of the window with large weapons, trucks with spinning satellite dishes on top, and helicopters chopping above. Being in DC, you get used to armored motorcades going by, but this weekend they really stepped them up! Throughout the night, I was awakened by sirens, planes and helicopters ahead. My paranoid self kept saying little prayers, like "This is it" as I heard some large jet noise above me and thinking maybe were were about to get terrorist attacked or something. Well, we survived! No terrorist attack or casualties, made it through the freezing cold and even from being trampled by a crowd, which was actually a possibility trying to leave the national mall after the new President was sworn in.
One of the highlights was the "We are One" Inaugural Celebration Concert which was on Sunday by the Lincoln Memorial. It was a celebrity studded event with musicians (Beyonce, U2, Garth Brooks, John Mellancamp, Usher, Shakira and more) and actors (Tom Hanks, Jack Black, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, and lots more) who gave moving speeches chronicling the history of our country with quotes from previous presidents and leaders. It was emotional and patriotic. Obama and Biden were there with their families and gave speeched. They broad casted it on HBO and I recommend it, but I'm sure being in the crowd was something hard to capture on television.
We experienced Inauguration Day 20009 with the masses. Our goal was to be on the national mall with a view of the Capital. Done. We were content even though we didn't have tickets or seats, or an actual view of the people on the platform, we did have jumbo trons broadcasting the sound and sights. Plus when you watched the news showing all those "specks" of thousands of people on the mall, we were among them!
Now among the optimism and energy in the crowd, I was angered by every one's reaction as President GW Bush was introduced. Booing, yelling and overall negativity seemed to contradict the "We are One" feeling of anti partisanship and coming together! I get that people don't like Bush, but he was on the way out and deserved the respect of being the President of the United States. Then as his helicopter flew away from the mall, taking him off after the Inauguration was over, everyone was singing, "na na na na hey hey oh goodbye!". I was thinking, "I hope Pres. Bush is opening a nice cold beer as he flew over thinking, "Peace out people!" Although I am excited about a fresh start, I am thankful for the service of any president.
So, if you ever can go to an Inauguration, go! It's a great experience of our freedom to be able to witness the peaceful transfer of power.
Let's pray for the new President and our country during these next years.
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