one amidst two million: my inauguration reflections

I realized a few days ago that last Tuesday was, in many ways, the culmination of what's been at the forefront of DC culture since I moved here two and a half years ago. Whether it be through the local news, bumper stickers, yard signs, or innumerable campaign commercials, there pretty much hasn't been a day during which I haven't been reminded of the 2008 presidential election.

More importantly, however, last Tuesday - Inauguration Day - was the realization of something that so many have dreamed of, sacrificed for, and worked toward since the founding of our nation. Regardless of how you or I voted in November, the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States is an historic moment in the fullest sense of the word. There have been other moments in my life marked by a distinct sense of gratitude and pride in being an American. And on Tuesday, another such moment was added to that list as an African-American took the oath of office.

Long before the election was over, I was curious what it would be like to live in DC during the change of an administration. No matter who ended up winning, experiencing an inauguration ceremony firsthand was something I was interested in doing. Of course, as the day approached, I claimed that if the weather was too cold, I would stay home and watch on TV :) But in the end, the significance of this inauguration outweighed my dislike of cold temperatures. And so it was with anticipation (and was it perhaps patriotism?) that my sister and I joined almost two million others in DC last Tuesday to witness Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States. Needless to say, it was quite an experience! We ended up getting tickets (for a standing room-only section) the night before and were excited at the prospect of being relatively close to the action. But alas - after three hours in line - we ended up being among the thousands of ticket-holders who did not make it past (or even to) the security checkpoints before the ceremony. Definitely a bummer. We bailed on the line and ended up next to the American Indian Museum just before Rick Warren prayed and Obama took the oath of office...and while we couldn't see much, we were able to hear the oath and bits & pieces of the speech. Regardless of our ticket disappointment, we were both glad to have experienced everything in person. Politics aside, I felt like Tuesday was an amazing example of democracy in action - something I take for granted too often because of its familiarity.

There's no way to fully convey my impressions of that day - some are positive, others not so much so. My goal is to provide below a few snapshots - here are the sights, sounds, and impressions that marked the day for me:

• getting up early and putting on plenty of layers in preparation for the barely 30 degree high!
  
• parking in Rosslyn & then walking to DC from VA (Metro trains were full and no more Metro buses were allowed to drive in)
  
• I loved our walk into DC! passing Iwo Jima and then crossing Memorial Bridge - with Arlington Cemetery behind us and the Lincoln Memorial just ahead. definitely one of those moments when I was reminded of what a cool city I live in!
  
• continuing up Independence Avenue, the amount of people present began to register: sooooooooo many people...everywhere! families, locals, out-of-towners, young, old, black, white, first-timers to DC, guests from other countries
  
• buses, buses, and more charter buses lining the streets
  
• overall, an air of energy & excitement, underscored by the constant movement of so many people
  
• the complete spectrum of attire: some women in heels and long fur coats, others in Carhartts
  
• a few downsides to such a large turnout: trash everywhere, bushes around buildings getting trampled :( definitely sad to see because DC is usually such a clean & beautiful city. (as a security measure, there weren't many extra trashcans placed around: trashcans = good places to put bombs.)
  
• item of the day: definitely hand warmers! I am SO glad that I bought some of these in advance!!
  
• waiting in the blue ticket line: inching forward, jogging in place to get warm, following almost non-existent directions - only to discover hours later that there was absolutely no direction being given ahead, which had resulted in probably hundreds cutting in line ahead of us. the last 45 minutes or so, people started to just crowd in, and I understood how someone got trampled at a Wal-Mart at the day-after-Thanksgiving sale :| it was crazy. in spite of all that, our time in line provided some great people-watching and an opportunity to take everything in.
  
• the roar from everyone on the mall when Obama was introduced, and (obviously) even more so after he took the oath of office
  
• when Obama finished taking the oath, I heard the middle-aged black woman next to me say, "Thank you, Lord. At last, at last. No more president-elect, now he's really the President."
  
• during the inauguration address, it was amazing how quiet it was when you think about how many people were on the mall
  
• street vendors selling more Obama memorabilia than I thought possible: stocking caps, calendars, DVDs, t-shirts, pictures, buttons
  
• did I mention yet how many people were there?!! some had climbed trees, some were standing (or lounging!) on top of port-a-potties. I remember seeing a man on crutches, two women in the blue ticket line with walkers, older people, little kids...many of whom probably should not have walked as far as they did. My guess is that everyone walked at least a mile that day, probably more - and that doesn't take into account the hours of standing!
  
• after Obama's speech, we started heading west down Independence. at that point, the mass exodus from the mall was in full force; thankfully, the vast majority of the crowds were heading in the opposite direction towards the charter buses and metro stations. in the end, walking in from VA was probably the easiest and quickest way in and out.
  
• the Bush's final fly-over in Marine One went directly over us. I'm sure it was a surreal view for them in many ways.
  
• we then walked down to the Reflecting Pool and made our way to the Lincoln Memorial...just people-watching and taking pictures.
  
• just before we started to walk back across Memorial Bridge, we saw a huge blow-up caricature of President Bush being toppled by a group of people. freedom of speech is something i'm grateful for, and yet I wish some people knew how to incorporate respect into how they exercise that freedom.
  
• our tired legs did get us back to VA :) and we watched Obama's speech online when we got home, as well as some of the parade.
  
• the round-trip totals for our Inauguration Day field trip? We left our car around 7:00 am and returned to it about 7 hours and 9.3 miles later :)

When I think about what President Obama has entered into, I can't imagine the pressure of having the hopes of so many placed on me. Time will tell whether his campaign promises of hope and change turn out in the way the majority of American voters thought they would or should. Certainly we've already seen the evidence of some changes in only the past week. And while this presidency has begun on an historic note, the challenges it will have to take on are real and significant: a nation at war and a struggling economy only begin the list. I have no doubt the next four years will contain more historic moments, and I hope they are such for positive and right reasons. I've been reminded a lot more lately of the need to be interceding regularly on behalf of all of my elected leaders. And so I close these rambling thoughts with a prayer:

Lord God Almighty,
You have made all the peoples of the earth for Your glory,
to serve You in freedom and in peace:
Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice
and the strength of forbearance,
that we may use our liberty in accordance with Your gracious will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(The Collect for the Nation, The Book of Common Prayer)