Inauguration 2009: A Day Forever Etched In My Memory

January 20, 2009. 3:15 AM:

A big yawn, a quick shower, and several layers of clothes later, I was out the door, into the frigid morning air. Sacrificing my precious sleep and the risk of turning into a human ice cube were fine by me so long as I got to be a part of history. All bundled up, I walked about five blocks to a friends place in Pentagon City with just a camera around my neck. When I got there, a delicious breakfast of omelets, bacon, toast, hashbrowns, and OJ was in the works. After the delectable breakfast, we loaded our pockets with enough snacks to sustain us for the seven hours we would spend in the frigid early morning weather. Then we made our way to the metro.

The seven of us were charged and ready to fight the massive crowds. One of us broke out into song on the metro, which led to the entertainment of dozens of people packed in around us. After exiting from Federal Triangle, we darted to the National Mall. The cynics, (my roommates) thought our 5 AM arrival was overzealous. )Ask them about the "blue ticket blues!") We managed a great spot in front of the third jumbo-tron, just in front of Hirshorn Museum. We had a magnificent view of the Capitol Building off to the east, the Washington Monument to the west, and hoards of people packed in all around us together in our historic adventure.



The harsh cold bore down on us without mercy. When we first arrived on the Mall, and claimed our 5’x5’ standing area, I remember commenting that the weather really wasn’t that bad. I found myself quickly recanting that premature statement not more than 20 minutes later! The girls where so cold that their jaws began making noises like one of those wind up chattering teeth you can get at carnivals. I was doing okay, but my feet were frozen. Doubling up on socks didn’t seem to help much. I decided then and there that thermal boots , no matter how unfashionable, were going on my nearly frostbiten feet next time, not a pair ofbreathable Nike's!

To make things better, a very nice woman from some small town in Kentucky I can't even pronounce, was nice enough to give the girls a fleece and one of those solar 'tin foil blankets.' The blankets kept them relatively warm and happy until the sun finally gave off some heat about five hours later. On countless occasions throughout the morning, we huddled together in a circle and tried to keep warm, using each other to keep warm.



When Sunday’s Lincoln Memorial Inaugural concert was re-broadcasted on the jumbo-tron, people became quite a bit more lively. I owe much of my happiness early that morning to Garth Brooks! His performance at the concert got people moving around, smiling, singing along, all which led to better blood circulation, and a much more enjoyable rest of the morning.

The sun put on quite a show for us during the course of our seven hour wait. When we first arrived, the sun was nowhere to be found. After an hour or so, it began to poke through the clouds. The sky became purplish-orange behind the Capitol Building, and eventually, after about five hours, the sun broke through the cloudy sky and thawed our bodies. I was among many who, to keep from freezing, either ran in place, jumped up and down, and created other innovative ways to keep warm. One thing is for certain; the guys smart enough to invest in the boxes of hand-warmers, turned a good profit selling them to the millions in attendance yesterday morning.

The actual Inaugural Day events didn't begin until 10:30 AM. From the Jumbo-tron we watched as the VIP celebrities and politicians rolled in. A few patriotic musical numbers were performed, and for what seemed like hours, we saw the Bush/Obama motorcade make their way from The White House to the Capitol building.



The grandeur and significance of the day did not really set in until they showed Obama walking through the corridors of the Capitol building, making his way to the front steps to the seating area. They showed the entrance of Carter, Bush Sr., Clinton, and the incumbent George W. Bush. When President Bush was inaugurated eight years ago, I was just a junior in high school. I remember watching clips of the inauguration on the news, but to be honest, it wasn't a very memorable day in my life. It didn't seem to stir too many people up here in the District at the time either. I knew that the Inauguration of January 20, 2009, would not be a day which would go ‘unremembered.’ When I saw Joe Biden stand up to take his oath of office, I remember thinking, “That’s it?, wow…Cheney’s out, Biden’s in, just like that!” I thought to myself, “I am less than 200 yards away from an event that will soon be written about in every new textbook in America. It was incredible to have been present as the first black man in the history of The United States took the Presidential oath to office. The ambiance was breathtaking. Our country has come a long way.