The Spirit of the Day

Despite the passage of time that seemed much slower than I anticipated, the culmination of my obsessive behavior for the last nine months was here at last. Unlike other events where my role had been a spectator, this outcome was certain. It was the day for which I, and as it turned out millions of other Americans and citizens of the world, had been waiting--20 January 2008, the Inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama.

Surrounded by thousands of people gathered to share a common experience and carrying in my heart the pure thrill of hundreds more with whom I worked so hard in partnership to make this day happen, I stood and breathed. I listened and cheered. I was swooped into a mob of goodwill, pushed to enter the gates of a new freedom.

There isn't a shortfall of accounts describing the particulars of the day. The crowd size, the tone and word choices of the speech, the glamor of the outfits have been well documented. Even the 'Purple Ticket Gate of Doom' and the lines at every corner to enter the Youth Ball live in legend. There were disappointments and aggravations, mostly small, throughout the course of my day that spanned twenty hours. At the end, though, they meant very little. They are not what I will remember.

Months prior, in my New York apartment I had watched Barack Obama deliver his speech after losing the New Hampshire primaries. I was dismayed as the results were reported, especially after following the polls and the press beliving that Obama would win by eight. Instead of concentrating on what must have felt bitterly disappointing, Obama chose to empower his supporters to keep believing in the inspiring idea that we are called to act to make our country better. It was when 'Yes We Can' became the mantra of 'a chorus of millions of voices calling for change.'

I stood in between the reflecting pool and the capital for the Inaugural Ceremonies, a small part of the realization of those words. In a time that can rightfully be called troubled, the new president implored us to 'pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off' and work together to bring better tomorrows. Feeling the pride of empowerment, the anticipation of a new era, the satisfaction of being present, the day sprung a spirit of hope eternal for me and those who made the journey. The possibilities are only beginning.



Time: 32 minutes
Place: The Paved Park
Weather: 46 degrees! with 12 mph winds
Distance: 3 miles
Feeling: Winds make a difference...
Overall grade: B-