I Was There! - Part One

As you know, I'm always ready for an adventure.  Well, here is the latest one - a trip to Washington, D.C. for President Obama's Second Inauguration.  I went with my two youngest daughters, their aunt and one of her friends.  My girls often travel with their aunt Lisa, their dad's sister, but this was my first trip.  (Little background: their dad and I were once married but have been divorced for over ten years.)  The drive there was uneventful and we reached our hotel room late Monday evening.  We ordered delivery and prepared for the big day ahead of us.

Tuesday morning, I awoke with a sense of urgency but didn't feel that all the members of my traveling party were experiencing the same.  I had showered the night before, so my preparations were quick.  (Something that is very important when you have 5 people sharing one bathroom.)  I started with my layers: tights and turtleneck shirt; lined wool pants and thick sweater; satin bonnet and GSU blue beret.  I stopped here because I still needed to go to the lobby for breakfast.  Tunde and I went for breakfast while Lisa and Shannon made their morning preparations.  Abiola was just waking.  I made sure to eat warm, filling food because I didn't know what the day would bring and I wanted to be prepared.  Even with the snail-like movements of my child, we were dressed and out the door around 8.  I know, very late for the event we were attending.  I completed my ensemble with thick socks, quilted coat with hood, GSU blue scarf and gloves.  I even carried an extra pair of gloves in my pocket.  We piled into the car and made the quick drive from the hotel to the Metro station.  After following the confusing, winding road around construction, we made it to the parking deck and found a space.

Until this point, the inauguration had been an event on the television.  But as soon as we hit the train station, we were in it.  People were pushing commemorative newspapers into our hands, we were trying to get to our cash to purchase our bus passes (of course, the ones Lisa had ordered online which were assured to be delivered before we left did not arrive on time), and rushing down powerless escalators to catch the train.  The trains were filled with other excited people from all over the country making their way to the National Mall to watch this great event.  We talked about our hometowns and compared the transit map to the Inauguration map to determine the best stop for our departure.  D.C. natives offered advice and directions.  We decided to get off at the L'Enfant Plaza.  We thought we'd miss the larger crowds by using a peripheral stop - well, Lisa did.  She's the only one who had been in D.C. for any period of time.  Shannon and I just smiled and nodded like foreigners who didn't know the language.

We exited the train and marveled at the number of people trying to get through the exit gates from our stop and decided to try another gate.  It was just as crowded but it was moving and soon we were on the streets of Washington, D.C.  Oh my!  There were so many people.  There was electricity in the air and everyone was just happy to be there.  There was a little tension because you didn't want to be separated from your group but not in a bad way.  Right at the train station exit, there were vendors hawking their wares: bags, t-shirts, buttons, calendars, any and everything that could have President Obama's image put on it was for sale.  Some were cute, some were sad, some just made me shake my head.  We opted to wait to make the majority of our purchases on the way back.  First, the prices would go down for some items once the event was over.  Second, we'd have a better idea which items we wanted after we had seen a better selection and also know the best price.  But there must have been a meeting or something because all of the prices were pretty consistent for similar items.  And three, and probably most important, we wouldn't have to carry these items all day long.  Shannon bought a bag to hold the newspapers that had been thrust upon us at the train station.  That's probably the only reason we still have them.  (Thanks, Shannon!)  L'Enfant Plaza was probably the last time we moved freely until we reached the National Mall.  We joined the throngs of people and were herded like cattle from one spot to the other.  We had hoped to enter the Mall on the 7th but that street was closed off and we were told that we would have to enter the Mall on 12th.  We pushed on with the other cattle, unable to see more than the head of the person in front of us until we reached 12th Street.  Most people moved along quietly, making small talk with the people around them and checking to make sure their groups were still intact.  The adults in my group were all wearing very bright and/or unique hats and we stayed close together.  I held Abiola's arm. The only scary moment came just as we reached the gates to the Mall.  Someone shouted that they were going to close the gates and people started pushing.  I felt like I was on an incline and sliding downhill.  I suddenly felt I knew how stampedes started.  I could feel the pressure against my body as I held my child's arm, tried to keep from being crushed and made my way through the gate.  It only lasted a few seconds but it left a lasting impression.  Once through the gate, we could move freely again.  We wandered around to find a good spot to watch the Inaugural Ceremony, looked for the volunteers passing out American flags and finally decided on a spot near the back of the Mall where we could clearly see the monitors.  This was the best we could hope to do since we didn’t get to the Mall until nearly 11.

My child held up her “Free Hugs” sign and started to give out the first of many hugs on the Mall.  One of her bucket list items was to have a “Free Hugs” sign and display it.  The hugs were just a bonus.  Once she mentioned it, her aunt knew she wouldn’t have a better opportunity than this.  We flew into action and within 10 minutes she was ready to check off one of her bucket list items.  This turned out to be a perfect spot.

And then it started… the music, the pomp, the circumstance, the flag-waving.  I didn’t know I’d be so excited.  We heard the performers sing and watched the swearing-in ceremonies.  And then he started to speak.  President Barack Obama was delivering his Inaugural Address.  I was there on the National Mall with the President of the United States of America.  Sure there were nearly a million other people there with me, but I was there.  I wasn’t watching it on TV in my living room or on the computer in my office.  I was out there, feeling the same sun on my face that he felt, the same breeze, hearing him speak without delay or buffering.  I didn’t have to think about losing the signal or a power surge or any mechanical malfunction.  I WAS THERE!