Inauguration Day From One Who Was There

A friend of Ann's, who viewed the inauguration day ceremonies from the Washington Monument sent a play-by-play account of getting to their spot on the Mall, watching the events on the Jumbotron, and getting back to where they were staying. It's a wonderful long story, and I've picked out a few quotes to share.

While in line for the john, the Jumbotrons showed footage from the kick-off concert at the Lincoln Memorial. When Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger did “This Land is my Land,” I sang along, tears streaming down my face, feeling the fullness of The Movement and its culmination at that moment. Halfway into the song, I realized that I and the guy in front of me – the only other white person in sight at that moment -- were the only ones belting out Woody’s lines. It was a cultural reality check.

I noticed as I watched TV that few of the African-Americans and not all of the young people, no matter the color of their skin, seemed to know the words of "This Land...." Reality check, indeed!

You have all seen footage of the ceremony by now, probably more than I could see at the time. But I can offer one personal anecdote that was not captured on film: in the middle of Obama’s address, a great blue heron flew over the Mall, northeast to southwest. It was way up there, not obvious, but I happened to look up at the right moment and focus on the sky enough to notice that it was not one of the many gulls circling the Mall that day. Its long legs trailed behind, and it flew with that telltale reptilian wingbeat.

Ah lovely. The great blues fly here, and they are a grand sight to see.

When Obama’s address ended, people danced,...jumped, shook their booties, and high-fived. It was an Ode to Joy.

The Exit Strategy from the Mall was another matter. Once we got to the edge of the Mall, there wasn’t any choice about which direction to go. You just had to follow the flow, and the flow became a river of people, moving slowly but forcefully as it was funneled between buildings, barriers, blocked busses, and National Guardsmen. We followed this river for about 2 hours, wanting to go east, but forced north towards Dupont Circle. It sent us through landscaped areas (we bushwhacked through the DAR shrubbery), over low concrete walls. We were cold – everyone was cold. And we had no way of knowing when or where the river would ever fan out and let us free. And yet, everyone – EVERYONE – stayed patient and courteous and amazingly quiet. I have never heard so many people be so hushed, due in part to the cold. I would never have thought it possible for so many people to be so patient and kind while being so crammed and cold for so long. We were living The Dream.

Beautiful! Ann, thanks for sending this.

One phrase in the last quote made me laugh, but I'm not saying which.