My team went out for lunch and watched the inauguration on the giant tvs at Damon's. Two of my co-workers played trivia through the whole thing. *eye roll*
There were five guys from either an automotive supply store or an auto shop at one of the tables behind us, and I kept hearing these big, loud, manly "I'm not gonna cry in public damnit" sniffles. It was so cute!
President Obama's speech was wonderful, but the clergyman who said the Lord's Prayer paused in the oddest places! I swear I thought he was channelling William Shatner. The poem didn't do anything for me--it seemed to have been written for an earlier time period.
I want this administration and my country to succeed as we start all over again.
3 comments:
Amen.
I didn't get a chance to watch the whole proceedings, but have it on tape and sometime Friday will pop that in and watch his speech and the parades.
As I get older I grow less attached to the political proceedings - I keep thinking, "well i will research the candidates and find who to vote for and even perhaps volunteer for one" and that comes from my younger years devouring any book I could find on John F. Kennedy.
Unfortunately the political process now is way too drawn out, and voting becomes not voting for the right candidate but voting against the wrong candidates (I miss the days when i could write in "Bill the Cat" and walk away feeling like i had beaten the system in some fashion) or as my father would have said voting out the people who were in there already.
I don't know whether I should be ashamed to admit this or not, but i ended up supporting Obama mainly due to an email someone had sent me with a link to a questionaire about the candidates and how their beliefs compared to what you believe.
Being the first black president (i wish my parents had been alive to see that - i can still remember my father thinking that maybe all blacks should just live in their own state; this was in the late 60s and wasn't as much of a racist thought as it sounds but more a case of people trying to understand ideas they had a hard time comprehending) i know he has a hard road ahead of him - especially this time when the whole world seems to be crumbing around us. I'm afraid he will be judged by his skin color where the next black president (whomever that is) will be judged more as a politician who just happens to be black (unless if it is Condolezza Rice).
(BTW does anyone remember Shirley Chisolm? I used to admire her as a child. Just something about a black woman running for president when she didn't have a chance to win but had things she wanted to put out in the public was fantastic to this child raised on loving the underdog.)
The truths are simple. Yesterday, regardless of who you voted for, was the reason why America is America. Yesterday was my 8th inauguration that i remember (does that make me seem old or what - lol) and the feeling of hope is wonderful.
The other truth? He has his work cut out for him. Remains to be seen if he is up to the task, but he certainly does look presidential enough. The question is - will he act presidential enough?
Sorry for rambling so long.
Mike, no apologies needed! Your thoughts are interesting and on target, and the history you've mentioned is fascinating. I too, hope our new president is up to dealing with this mess we've all let our country become.
My thoughts on Inauguration Day were a quote by Winston Churchill.
"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
We've got quite away to go yet.
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