Inauguration

Monday night Trent, Kim, Wayne, and I made our way into DC. Where we stayed the night in order to prepare for an early awake time to attend the inauguration. My friend Wayne, whom got us our tickets to the big event, has a co-worker that lives in DC and allowed us to camp out at her apartment. We found out that the very same apartment was President Obama's apartment when he was in the senate!! So yes, I stayed at Pres. Obama's old apartment on the eve of his inauguration.

Us at President Obama's old apartment

We left the apartment at 6:30 am, walked through the Interstate 395 underpass, and made our way to get into the SLOWEST MOVING LINE IN HISTORY!!!! I believe that we moved one city block in three and a half hours. We were all standing shoulder to shoulder and back to back. Soon we stopped moving all together. People were getting antsy so they climbed on top of their friend's shoulders and on to light poles to get a better view of what way to go. Every time we would move a few feet the crowd would cheer. The crowd was pretty polite. They even started to chant "LET US IN..... PLEASE." Then we could go no further. We were stuck behind a cement barrier, a metal fence, and two plastic fences. We were all frustrated that there was so much room in the section that we were supposed to be in but we could not get there. Then it happened. The people would be heard. The crowd started to chant, "Tear it down, tear it down." Then the gate and fences went down and people started to rush into the open area near the capitol. Police tried to hold us back but soon stopped when they realized that we were not running over the barriers but were being pushed over them from the people behind us. I will be honest...this scared me. I was sure I would be trampled. We got over the barrier and had a pretty good spot. Once we were in our spot things seemed to be more cheery.

The inauguration itself was a momentous occasion. It was a wonderful opportunity to be present during the inauguration of the first black president. I found his speech hopeful yet honest about what America is facing economically, nationally, and world wide. The prayers were heartfelt and full of hope and praise. Throughout the inauguration a woman behind me was crying. She was a young black woman that was overcome, I am sure, by the historic occasion that she was witnessing. I wonder what it meant to her to have someone from her race that has been historically kept out of such positions in America. I wonder how this will change America. I hope it will be for the better. As I handed her a tissue, I felt connect to not only her but to all mankind. It was a wonderful moment that I will not forget.