The Inauguration

To say that yesterday was a huge day in American history is a bit of an understatement. Obama's swearing-in is an indication of how far the country has come. Plenty of other more eloquent writers than me are talking about what this means, so I will instead just talk about how the day made me feel, and how it moved me.

If you read my blog, or know me, you know that I've just moved to a new job at Sac State. My current commute/living arrangements are that I live in a condo in Sacramento M-F and go home on weekends, so I drive up to Sacramento from the bay area, about 90 minutes, on Monday morning. This week because of the holiday - Martin Luther King's birthday - I drove up on Tuesday. Of course, celebrating Dr. King on day and President Obama the next was an incredible, almost surreal, feeling. On my drive to Sacramento, I tuned my radio to KQED and listened to the coverage. They described the scene in Washington, people arriving as early as 3 a.m. just to be there; people being in a joyous mood in spite of the bitter cold; people talking about driving over 24 hours just to get to Washington DC. The reporters interviewed many of these individuals, and the comments almost moved me to tears. The hope and joy was so apparent. For me, driving toward Sacramento, across a causeway, as the sun was coming up on a beautiful day, it was really wonderful to hear those positive thoughts.

After I arrived at work, a group of us went over to the University Union to watch the inauguration on TV. In my life, I can only remember two other times when I gathered around the TV in the workplace with my colleagues. They were for the OJ Simpson verdict and for 9/11 coverage. How different this was to either of them! The scene we watched was amazing, the sheer number of people on the mall, the wonder and amazement in their faces, the reaction to the speakers. I thought it was interesting, but not surprising, that the response to Rick Warren was so muted, especially when we was followed by the fabulous Aretha Franklin! Of course, Obama's speech was amazing - full of hope, but full of reality too! It was hard to not be moved by the moment.

I have lived in America for 25 years. I have always been careful to let people know that I am not American. That's really a typical anti-American snobbery that you see in many Europeans, somehow we think we're better that Americans. And when you look at the govenment we have had in this country recently, it's hard to argue with that sentiment. However, yesterday, and again today, I am proud to live in America. I would be proud to be an American. I never dreamed I would say that, even when Bill Clinton was president, and I have always been a supporter of Bill Clinton. But this is different. With all due respect to Clinton, Obama is more than just a politician. It's hard to remember that he is just the president, and not a messiah. The expectations are so high, but there is such a feeling of goodwill toward Obama in the country that it feels as if we are in it with him. A "new era of responsibility" resonated with us.

Some of my favorite web postings today include:

Crowds watching the inauguration on Sproul Plaza in Berkeley
The Daily Kos Inauguration Coverage
Sacramentans watch the Inauguration