Inauguration Day 2009
This has been my most participatory Presidential Inauguration Day. No, I didn't get to DC. However, I did have to send a friend his tickets when he left town a day before they arrived. He is bringing me back a copy of the Washington Post's Special Inauguration Edition.
My events were at my university. On very quick notice and virtually no money, we put together events going all day long. My duties were in the morning and early afternoon today, but I had lots of fun doing it. I was "master of ceremonies" for an hour-long presentation prior to turning it into a rather large "watch party" for the swearing in and speech. I was appropriately dressed in a patriotic hat, "VOTE" sweatshirt" and blue jeans. I believe in comfort and being a beacon for a celebration. Plus, I told my students that "I'd be the one in the funny hat."
I gave a rundown on the ceremony and other professors provided historical and international perspectives. Not many people where there for those parts. Then it got to be a half hour before the swearing in of Obama and the hordes arrived. We ended up having about 800 people in two different rooms. Later I ran an informal chat in my role as a member of the League of Women Voters before a handful of people. We talked about the event, our happiness at the end of the terrible GW Bush years and how people can be heard by a new Congress and a new President. The rest of the afternoon students could compete in games and even attend an "ObamaBall" with a DJ tonight.
I had lots of fun. I even got a t-shirt of the event. I didn't even get down later with a chairs' meeting on our lack of money. I did fall off the adrenaline high and have spent the evening relaxing quietly.
I will sleep well tonight and actually work in my office tomorrow. What's the great part of my job? I get to follow the new Administration as part of it.
posted by redbarb at 10:19 PM
4 Comments:
Our university had a big-screen showing in the student center. Otherwise it was business as usual. I watched the inauguration online in my office while preparing tomorrow's class. Muted Rick Warren (if I wanted to hear a Big Box TV-star minister from O.C., I had plenty of chances to do that while I was growing up in SoCal). Obama's speech was quite good, though it lacked the sort of punch line that people will remeber years from now (e.g., "fear itself", "Ask not", etc.). I did like the fact that he actually included non-believers in the American family. Don't think that's ever happened before. Anyway, he's been president for 12 hours now: WHY HASN'T THE ECONOMY RECOVERED YET! (Sorry, just channeling my inner Chris Matthews).
Greetings Again!:
I must admit that this basically-right-wing Republican is not as uncomfortable at the prospect of the Obama Presidency as I once was! In fact, at the moment, I do not think I am uncomfortable at all, though I expect to continue having ddifferences with him on certain social and domestic issues at least. His open support for our men and women in uniform played a big role for me, as did what I felt was inclusiveism at its best in his inauguration. That ceremony was for me, to use a trendy phrase, a _CLASS_ _ACT_!!! This lover of ceremony also had fears that this youngish, presumably-trendy man would want to get rid of my beloved Marine Band, other military participation, etc. As Aslan put it near the end of _The_ _Last_ _Battle_, "No fear of that!" And we did _NOT_ get one of these _GGHASTLY_, in my opinion at least, renditions of the National Anthem by an unaccompanied pop singer or something similar, but a straight, dignified performance by the Navy Sea Chanters (I personally think they might hhave done better with the Air Force Singing Sergeants, both as per performance and balance of service participation, but what we _DID_ have was again _QUITE_ fine)! And Pastor Warren was both treated respectfully and spoke respectfully, no controversy there! Yes, my Chief Justice muffed the Oath of Office, and one wonders why. He should have known better. The Inaugural Address, to be sure, sounded some liberal notes, but, for the moment at least, our President seems willing, and hopefully will be able, to continue his conciliatory approach to such as we and to all! And that inclusivism extended to the musical guest artists, one selection each from opposite ends, after a manner, of the musical spectrum! The same basic approach carried over into today's National Prayer Service, though the sermon was, in the main, avowedly liberal-leaning. And yes, returning to yesterday, the President reached out to our mutual contact, as also pointed out by your most-frequent commenter here. May we both somehow be able to speak well of this President when he has had opportunity to show us what he can do!
Hoping, as usual, that this finds you well, as seems rather obvious,
J. V.
p.s. And, just in case there is any ambiguity, my reference to our mutual contact and to your most-frequent commenter had to do with the President reaching out to non-believers as well.
I further wish you had been able to come and visit us since, had it been mutually agreeable, I would have liked to have met you.
jVaughn: I am hoping to get to DC during the Obama administration. I have a friend who will be working in the area and I have told him I expect to get the cool "insider" tours of the Capitol and the White House.
I find it a bit difficult to believe, given your profession and apparent primary interest, that you have yet to visit us. Or is it merely that you have yet to have a VIP tour of the Capitol and White House?
Maybe this late colleague of yours would have challenged me with his esoteric conversation, if that was what it was, and maybe I am better at giving out verbosity than listening to it. Yet he and I would have had common ground on trade unions, though _MAYBE_ they do some good from time to time. I hope he is now with the Lord.
J. V.
p.s. Were it possible for me to edit here, I would have taken out one or more of my "maybe"s!
Or, hopefully better put, I would have changed one or more of them to something else!
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