On The Road to Inauguration Day - History is Made!
/As I write today, I have Stevie Wonder (Songs In The Key Of Life - a classic!) in the background. I am inspired, I am motivated and I am very upbeat! Music (as well as our new President!) has a way of doing that to me. I never go on a trip without my iPod, speakers and extension cords - I know, call me crazy!
Now that I've had a chance to come down from the clouds after today's events, let me share with you this amazing day. We were up early - 5:00 am . After a quick breakfast, Sara and I joined the masses, walking to the National Mall.
We were on a mission. Nothing mattered - the chill in the air, the biting wind, the hours it took to get to the mall - we wanted to experience history being made and witness Obama be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. I was amazed by the calm - the politeness of the crowd and the helpful attitude of the police and the traffic assistants known as "red caps" who made sure those of us without tickets knew which route to take.
It took us about 2 hours to get to our final destination! We ended up near the Washington Monument off 14th Street! Still, we had Jumbotrons set up on either side of our viewing spot and we made more friends as we took in the atmosphere of this magical day.
When the highly anticipated moment came for Obama to take the oath and give his speech, the crowd swelled with emotion. You could see it in their eyes, their expressions, they knew this man was someone special.
Watching, listening, stepping out of my reporter role, my eyes became misty. Of course my daughter snapped me right out of that by quickly grabbing me and saying in a horrified voice, "Mom, DON'T CRY!" You gotta love it!
Tonight we're going to try and attend a couple of balls. I'll let you know tomorrow how our Cinderella evening turns out!