Yes, me and Asher were among the nearly 2 million people on The Mall today. And we lived to tell about it. As you can see by the picture above I took an hour or so before the swearing in (those moving vans inspired the title of this post), we were at about the Washington Monument, so about a mile from the U.S. Capital. But we were right in front of a Jumbotron and could hear everything just fine.
Yes, it was a bit of a hassle to get there, three hours door-to-monument. But Asher was a trooper, and the mood was festive despite the massive crowds. And incredibly, the commute home was smooth and easy. We were home by 2:25, or about two hours after President Obama said, "Thank you, God bless you and God bless the United States of America."
Yes, it was cold. Though to those who wondered how anyone could bring their small children out there, I have one word for you: layers. And here's two more: multiple layers. And it worked like a charm, as Asher never once said he was cold.
Yes, people booed George W. Bush when he wandered out on the dais. People who watched on television told me you couldn't hear it, but trust me: it was loud. Now, we weren't the biggest fans of his presidency, but I thought a little decorum was not too much to ask on this otherwise joyous day.
Yes, the moment President Obama completed the oath of office was unforgettable, cathartic, emotional, exciting... beyond words, really. And I was elated that I could share this moment with my youngest son, who like the president is of mixed heritage.
He was the reason we embarked on this adventure. Who knows what he'll remember from this day, but as I told him a little while ago as I tucked him in for the night, today was about knowing that he really can be anything he wants to be. At least for the moment, our new president is a shining example of this, of what we can accomplish when we go forth with integrity, humility and faith.
Yes, we can.
6 comments:
Incredible! I can't believe you were there. What a special memory. I really enjoyed reading about it from someone who was actually there. So sad Bush was booed. Not appropriate for such a great event.
Thanks for writing this. Love it!
I love his buttons. Before I enlarged the photos I thought they were like aviator goggles or something....good for you for doing this.
Edddd... you made me cry. :)
The pic of Asher is great. I thought he had goggles on too. And I love seeing all the moving vans by the White House. It reminds me of yet another WW episode where Bartlett is leaving and they show all the staff clearing out their personal belongings from the White House.
It's so great that you could go. I hope Jen wasn't too jealous. I think what would have been most amazing about it was the feeling of being in the crowd, all together, all rejoicing in the moment.
Belle, I thought about that "West Wing" finale when I glanced over and saw the trucks out there. That was such an interesting sequence in the episode when they keep cutting between the dais and movers frantically lugging stuff out of there.
Belle/Kage, that's so funny, and I didn't even think about how the buttons might look on his hat. Please note, Bush 41 wore a similar hat... minus the buttons, of course.
And Belle, Jen was cool with how it worked out. She was at Clinton's second inauguration in 1997 (she had actual tickets/seats for that one) so she figured if we all couldn't go, this was the best way to do it.
Post a Comment