Inaugural thoughts

Thoughts on an Inauguration for the ages…

I am 22 years old, and I have been fortunate (or, unfortunate depending on how you look at it – or depending on the event) to experience a lot of history as time travels on.

This early week in January 2009, I have been spending time in Washington DC to see the Inauguration of President Obama. Yesterday was the big day, and began at 3 am – with an hour walk to the line we were directed to. After waiting in line for several hours (three hours…in 20 degree weather with 70% humidity. Humid cold is not nearly as nice as dry cold…and all the people I met here did not notice that there was any humidity…ha. It is hard to explain that the cold is biting like a piranha that has been unable to eat for 17 years…) we discovered that the line we were standing in was for the parade and not the line for the National Mall – which was disappointing and somewhat frustrating since we’d been directed there after asking a police officer where to go … but decided that we had to go in so at least we would be in SOMEWHERE. They let in about 30 people per line through the security checkpoint at a time– and I was mostly ready to get out into the sun as we’d been in a tunnel of sorts. The line moved at a snail’s pace at best – so I was thrilled we were generally in the front of the line.

During this time – several spontaneous things happened….my favorite by far being the sudden break out in the song “Lean on Me” by the crowd. Mixed together between the barriers were people of all different colors, flavors, and shapes. I had to pause and reflect on the progress of our nation in the last 50 years. The laughter that filled the concrete tunnel following the end (or the “we can’t remember any more words to the song…) was completely joy filled and the electricity that it created was absolutely amazing – buzzing with excitement for a huge step forward.

Throughout this week, I have been fortunate enough to see such speakers as Colin Powell and Al Gore as well as some political hotshots and the poet laureate of the United States. Each and every one of the expressed their excitement for the coming generation – for my generation. Being into history I’ve already drawn parallels to JFK – and the Reagan years…but just the same is was wonderful to experience the feeling of excitement that the “outgoing” generation feels for us. It gives me confidence in the ability of the millennials to lead not only our nation, but our world into the future. A resounding reminder in the American promise of an ever better tomorrow…and the responsibility to provide that for the generations to come.

While dealing with the almost deadly piranha cold and the ever changing mood of the crowd – I found my mind wandering endlessly to the words of yesterday that moved and inspired generations, allowing our country to continually make progess. As I was reciting pieces of various speeches in my mind (crazy, I know, thanks for reminding me …) my gaze fell on an old African American woman. I immediately felt extremely lame for complaining about the cold because if an 80 year old woman can deal with it, then I should obviously be able to…this, however, did not help my skin’s toughness toward the bitter outside cold. Upon searching her eyes I was able to discover a deep joy coupled with relief. I thought for a moment that standing not five feet from me is a woman who had, at least in some way, EXPERIENCED Jim Crow…who had perhaps fought for her freedom with her people…freedom that “existed” but was not ‘in practice’ so to speak. My heart grew and swelled knowing that, although discrimination still exists in our nation it is on its way out. To this I say -- It’s about time!

Eventually we made it through the checkpoint (where thousands of people grumbled about the loss of their water bottles and bags that they had been told not to bring…), where we ended up with an absolutely exquisite view of the Capital – missing speakers and a decent view of a jumbo-tron …but wonderful just the same. I met and spoke with a man who was from LA and we discussed the massive amount of joy we were feeling for a turn over of power as well as a turn over in generation. During the time of Kennedy and King, there is a decent to good chance that Keith and I would not have been able to hold that conversation as he is African American. Watching the ceremony take place was a life-changing moment and although there was no sound and little picture, I walked out feeling changed, inspired, and proud of my country.

In my mind, there is a passage from a 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. speech (Where do we go from here?) that resonates with me as we continue to push forward for a better, stronger, more equal and free United States.

“And I must confess, my friends , that the road ahead will not always be smooth. There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setback here and there. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted. We may again, with tear drenched eyes, have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs. But difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future…”
-Martin Luther King Jr. August 16, 1967

One last thought for now…

Proof that the world has changed can be found in the writing of our youth…in my world history class we had a discussion about leaders through their journal. They were not only to identify the great traits of a leader, but to articulate who they thought was the greatest leader of all time. Although there were a few repeats – Jesus, FDR, Hitler, and Queen Elizabeth … no other person had the massive amount of “votes” so to speak than MLK. My students are overwhelmingly white…and I think to myself…we have come so far – so so so far in 50 years.