The Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama

We watched the inauguration today with friends at someone else's home. We were about thirty people. The ages ranged from 85 years to 18 months, and my husband and I were among the younger folks there. Some of our friends had marched with Dr. King and heard him give his "I Have a Dream" speech. Another friend's father served in President John F. Kennedy's honor guard. Everyone believes in community service. Most everyone had campaigned for Obama in some way: some went to Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio; others made phone calls and organized house parties.

There were some people there who still preferred Hillary Clinton, but were willing to give Obama a chance. One man had been a devoted Republican most of his life, until Barack Obama threw his hat into the ring. Then despite his years, he went to Obama Camp and worked tirelessly for months walking from house to house, talking with strangers, gathering names and addresses.

We were white, African American, Caribbean American, Indian--Catholic, Hindu, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, and nonbelievers, too.

We booed when George W. Bush was introduced and snickered that Dick Cheney was looking too much like Dr. Strangelove in his wheelchair.

We admired Michelle's ensemble and cooed at the loveliness of the two little girls, Malia and Sasha.

We listened skeptically to Rick Warren's invocation, which we found too long, but less offensive than it could have been.

We sang along to Aretha Franklin's spirited "My Country Tis of Thee." (What a great hat!)

We understood that Joe Biden had to be sworn in first just in case something unmentionable happened.

The music was sensational, perfect, professional and mesmerizing. John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet).

We wondered what happened when Obama, ordinarily so confident, misspoke during the oath of office. Click here for an explanation of what happened.

And then the inaugural speech. We missed his joyful smile, we missed seeing those white teeth and the mixture of shyness and confidence. Instead we saw a grim Barack Hussein Obama, a man upon whose shoulders we have hoisted far too much. His words touched our hearts, and once again revealed our common values, and aroused our cognitive selves. Obama spoke to the world, our friends, our enemies, and hopefully ended America as Bully.

Ah, to be thinking, grown ups again!

Elizabeth Alexander brought us a poem about us, a poem that we could understand. Praise Song for the Day.

And the humor and healing of Rev. Joseph Lowry's benediction.

Everyone, except for my husband, rose when the National Anthem was song. Some people who had not put their hands on their hearts since FDR or JFK, put their hands over their hearts. And there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Because we were proud, once again, to be Americans.

And then the pragmatism began: immediately after the inauguration, Rahm Emanuel, Chief of Staff, issued an order that halted all federal agencies from enforcing last minute Bush-era regulations, pending review by the new administration.

As my friend Vanessa said as the inauguration began today: What will happen in the next 400 years?