has finally come. Inauguration Day. Tuesday, January 22, 2009. The Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as our the 44th president of these United States.
Incredible.
We woke up at 6:00am with excited looks of anticipation. This anticipation soon turned to a shade of regret as we stepped into the cold and windy darkness of our nation’s capital. Is this something we wanted to do? Did we really want to brave the cold and crowds for 8 hours when we could easily brew some hot beverages and enjoy the Inauguration on the futon that had become our makeshift bed?
Yes. As soon as we walked out of the apartment where we were staying, we saw people coming from every part of the city, all walking in the same direction. At 6am I never expected to see as many people as we saw. From every direction people were coming and joining the growing trek towards the Capitol.
We stopped at a hot dog stand for a quick, nutritious breakfast and purchased a $10 disposable camera to capture the sights of the day. (I haven’t mentioned it until now, because it pains me to talk about it. The reason we had to buy a camera is because I left mine in my car that was parked in Maryland. Typical of me, but nonetheless disappointing.)
We were greeted at the gates near the Washington monument not by police officers or the ubiquitous United States military, but by tens of volunteers all clad in red hats embroidered with the words “Inauguration Volunteer Corp.” We wondered what kind of incentive the Transition could have possibly provided these people, but we then realized that for these volunteers the reward was simply the inauguration of the man they had spent 2 years working to elect. It reminded us of how special this moment is for all Americans, but especially so for those like myself who had worked on his behalf during the campaign .
There were seven jumbo trons set up between the Capitol and the Washington monument. We parked ourselves at the fifth one back from the Capitol because we had a good view of both the jumbo tron and the Inaugural platform. After introducing ourselves to a group of friends sitting in our area, these former Peace Corp volunteers shared with us some hot tea and an extra blanket they weren’t using. Everyone was so respectful, friendly and excited.
After a replay of the “We Are One” concert, they began playing live footage of the arrivals of the former presidents, congressmen, governors, and celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyonce. (Jay-Z had a ridiculous hat…) By far the best part of this live footage was Malia and Sasha as they walked through the halls of Congress towards the platform.
Well, not quite the best. To be sure, the best part was seeing our next president place his hand on Lincoln’s Bible and flub recite the oath of the office of the presidency of the United States.
The crowd went wild. For some, it had been a long two years. For others, it had been a long eight years. And for still others, for those proud McCain supporters who showed up that morning on the National Mall with their McCain t-shirts, the inauguration of our first black president was a momentous occasion that overshadowed any bitter, partisan feelings.
I could have easily stayed in St. Louis to watch all of this on the screens in the DUC. I could have easily stayed in the warmth of our apartment in Georgetown to watch the events on TV. But to be in the thick of things, to be able to tell my kids that I witnessed such an historic event, was priceless.
-Andy Flick