There's an old movie called "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". I've
never seen it, but I've heard that it’s about a small town guy who's elected to
Congress. Well, I haven't been elected to Congress, but I did have the
opportunity to attend President Obama's Second Inauguration and The Inaugural
Ball. Like Mr. Smith, this small town girl went to Washington and she had a
ball!
Still Smiling From Attending President Obama’s
Second Inauguration
This time last week I was getting ready to attend the festivities associated with President Obama’s second inauguration. My journey began the week before when I received an email from the Presidential Inaugural Committee informing me that I had been given the opportunity to purchase 2 tickets to “The Inaugural Ball” (“The Ball”). The Ball was one of two official balls, which meant that the president and first lady would be dance at the event. I was beyond thrilled and there was only one person who would be as thrilled as I was to attend, my sister.
Some Things Are Meant to Be
As I imagined, she was beyond
thrilled and everything fell into place. She immediately began looking for a
plane ticket from Atlanta to Pittsburgh so that we could ride together. And even though it was only a week away she
was able to find a reasonably priced plane ticket. She also found an amazing
dress that looked like it had been made just for her. Then, a friend sent me a text message offered
me two tickets to the swearing-in ceremony.
In turns out, she had extra tickets! Like the Ravens going to the Super
Bowl this year, our attending the Inauguration was meant to be. (Sorry for that
reference Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans…)
Since I have become a mom, I have decided to keep my life as low stress as possible. So, I didn't exhaust myself looking for a new gown. And fortunately, I keep a few gowns in my closet for spontaneous occasions like this! Indeed, I used to say that I could be ready to attend any event if I just had an hour's notice.
After finding an outfit I had to chat with Andre. Fortunately, was able to
convince him that I needed to be in DC for the inauguration. Actually, I don’t know if I convinced him as
much as I was so animated and talking so fast that he actually may have thought
that we had hit the lottery instead of being given the “privilege” to spend
money to attend a party!
As God would have it, we had
perfect travel weather. Even though we
had to drive through the mountains on the Pennsylvania Turnpike there was no
snow on the road. It was like the Red Sea parted and we glided into DC
The Inauguration Was a
Celebration for the Entire Country
Some commentators have written
that the inauguration was inappropriate given the state of the economy.
However, I disagree. This past
presidential election was long and contentious. And the country was deeply
divided across party lines. The inauguration is a time for the country--Republicans and Democrats--to pause, reflect
and party.
Sometimes, a celebration can go a long way to heal relationships. January 21, 2013, the day of the inauguration was entitled, a
“National Day of Hope and Resolve”. Even though it was really cold, the energy
in DC was electric and hopeful. There were people in wheelchairs, old people, and young people. Some people were dancing. Some were singing. And in the midst of a cold winter's day, everybody seemed HAPPY! I was in front of the capitol with hundreds of
thousands of my fellow Americans and I was moved.
Me, my sister, and our friend taking it all in...
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