The Day

Here's an e-mail from someone close on her experience in D.C. with her husband and daughters.
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HURRAY, the deed is done! Hope is alive! And here is how it looked from our eyes. . .

So we got up at some ungodly hour after our late night with Miley, Corbin Bleu, George Lopez (forgot him) and all of the others (at the kids' inaugural event). We were up and showered and out of the door by 7:31. We assumed this was plenty of time, as we were going from 16th and U to the Capital. Despite being told that we should not take the metro in town we figured we were early enough.

So off we went to the metro. We got in, and amazingly enough got on the first train. We were completely stuffed in, and not one more people could have fit in to our train. But everyone was talking to each other, exchanging stories about where we came from and how happy and excited we were (Except for the jerk standing next to Bruce who was elbowing him the entire time and being a jerk). We were one metro stop away from the switch that we could us directly where we wanted. . . . Then the said we would not be stopping at that stop or several others because the crowds had overwhelmed the stations. So we got out at about 7th and F, headed to 1st and the equivalent of A. No problem, rights?

Wrong.

We were immediately engulfed by the crowds. We were being whisked away and I had this moment of thinking that 'oh my god, we have tickets and we will not be able to make it to the inauguration!' We eventually disengaged ourselves from the scary crowds and managed to continue on. With all of the crowds it took us about and hour and 1/2 to walk the to the capital and then another 1 to 1 1/2 hour to wait in line to get seated. We passed vendors every few feet selling everything you can imagine. (In case you don't want to stick around to the end, I finally got my scarf and matching hat!)

It was very cold, even for we hardy from Wisconsin. We had on our smart wool, which saved us. (Thanks for that tip Lauren! Smart wool may be expensive but boy it keeps you dry and warm!)

I am sure there is stuff I am forgetting but I want to get to when we were seated. I sat next to an African American women and her husband from New Jersey.

People were asking each other to take pictures of them with the capital in the background. Secret Service was everywhere you looked. And all the while there was this mass behind us ... to the Washington monument and beyond, that had a palpable energy. There was electricity -- or maybe it was just happiness, excitement or expectation -- in the air.

Once the program started, everyone sitting around us, the people with tickets were very silent. It was almost as if you could have heard a pin drop. The energy came from the masses behind us.

When the announcer said 'you may sit down' they roared with laughter that bubbled up to the front. When they introduced Bush (W), there was polite clapping from the front section, while there were rounds of boooos coming form behind. When they started the 'Obama' it felt like a wave, coming to overtake us all. It was powerful. The true energy came from those on the mall.

I am not sure what I expected from the oath and speech, but my expectations were so high that no one could have met them. And after 2 days of nothing but Obama and expectation, happiness and hope, I suppose it is no surprise to hear the oath and speech were somewhat of a let down. Now, when I say let down, I mean a let down from my completely unrealistic expectations. It was powerful and impactful (Gretchen, is that a word?) The women I sat next to and I just kept on saying, 'no one has said this before.'

Maybe I didn't get the Obama equivalent of Kennedy's 'ask not' or Roosevelt's 'fear itself' but he said more than any other and he said what he needed to be said... (Although why do democrats have to talk the tough talk against our foreign alleged enemies?) (And why, even as Obama acknowledged the non-believers, do we have to hear so much about god?) But at least we got his repudiation of the false choice between freedom and security. I hope that one goes down in history.

So shortly after the speech was done, Tori had to go to the bathroom. So we were going to sneak out and get her there. It seems like most of the people had the same idea so 1/2 hour later we had still not reached a port-a-potty. The poor poet. Although everyone behind the ticketed seats stayed put, it seems like the ticketed seats emptied out while she was speaking.

I think the aftermath of the inauguration was as impressive as the inauguration was. We were headed to Union Station to get warm, to get food (and of course to get a beer for Bruce, and wine for me!). Turns out the fire marshals closed all of the stores and restaurants at union station because of the crowds. (Or maybe they lied and just wouldn't let anyone else in.) Then they closed the Union square metro because it was too full. And we were our of cash . . . and then we finally found my scarf!! After sending Bruce to three different places for a ATM, we finally got our scarfs!

So how to get home. Street traffic still gridlock so a taxi is a waste. Metros full to overflowing. Buses -- well who the fell knows where to go and no one taking the bus was from DC so no one knew where they were going and it was gridlock anyway). So eventually, we walked, and walked and walked. . . . We finally found an Irish pub with only 1 and 1/2 hour wait to eat. Sold. We drank some beers, gave the girls hot chocolate and finally ate. In the meantime, we were all watching the continued inauguration coverage. Cheers went up when Obama or Michelle came on. We were worried when Kennedy was taken out. And we met people from all over. Bruce got over being mad a me at sending him to 3 different places to get cash for my and the girls' scarves after a couple of beers . . .

So here is the thing . . . We left the bar well after 5, and it was still crazy on the streets. Every restaurant was still full. The metros we saw still overflowing. We walked and walked and walked and finally took a cab and the taxi driver said he had been in the city for 35 years and had never seen anything like this. He said at other inaugurations, the city was clear by 2 or 3, and it was still crazy here.

The closest thing he saw was the million man march and that was not even close. (By the way, our taxi driver was from an African nation - unlike Palin, I know this is not a single country, but I do not know what country he comes from -- and he had a degree in poli sci from Howard. . . so why is he driving a taxi????? I'm thinking a waste of human capital once again)

We made it to our adopted apartment ... .

We will get warm . . . order in. . . . And head home... I'll send pictures when there! Happy inauguration day!

Contact author at: maleon64@yahoo.com