Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Watching the Inauguration with the Crowds at the Birth Control Bed & Breakfast

The good news for my invalid last night was that our sofa pulled out into a nice bed so Hubster was able to get tucked up with his favourite little people and watch that wonderful bit of history unfold. Nothing like having the live pictures of Obama's inauguration on the decent TV screen, then being able to mute the French translations and follow the speech live with CBS online.

The only scary part, besides having to occasionally listen to Katie Couric, was watching Bubba-Love jump around the sofa bed, trailing popcorn and juice behind him. It looked like there was a body outline where Hubster had been laying.

I did my best to sing along with the National Anthem but The Princess asked me in her most politest manner, to stop. When I didn't, I tried to explain to her that, "this is the voice God gave me, so by golly I'm gonna use it!" (Thank you Father Rafferty for giving me and my mother that line way back in about 1982-83.) She didn't buy that though and chose to hold her ears till my cacophony was finished.

I don't think I can ever explain how good it was to watch that event, huddled with my people, watching my people, witnessing and participating in a small way in our shared history. The last time I felt this sort of need to be there, to see and to know what was going on, was when all of us around the globe watched transfixed on 9/11. This time, rather than contemplating the horror, we watched and celebrated the joy.

And regardless of what becomes of his presidency, I can not thank Barack Obama enough for this.

3 comments:

Sue said...

In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health...an American to the core!

Stephanie said...

Well said. I hate that we missed the actual speech, but am happy to say that CNN did a pretty good job of getting us caught up. I am excited about what will come in the next few years as well as a bit scared. I worry some that racism may rear it's ugly head even higher, but choose to focus on the good that I hope wil lcome of this Presidency. How amazing to have this even be a part of history during our lifetime!

Kelly said...

The energy was/is amazing. I bet you had no problem feeling it too. I said to a fellow teacher today, "It's just exciting to be excited about something again!"

XOXOXO