By GottaLaff
Attending the inauguration was a chance of lifetime and an experience that I will never forget. Waking up at 3:30 AM and pushing my way onto an already overstuffed, sweaty metro is just the beginning to a story that I will be able to tell my grandchildren. Not only was it my first time voting, but it was the first time this country had elected a black president. No one knew how many millions of people to expect on January 20th, but we were prepared for more than the 400,000 that attended Bush’s inauguration in 2005.Life-changing, indeed.
When we finally made it off the metro, there was a mad rush to claim a spot in the Mall. Throughout the morning, many people were either dehydrated or relieving themselves into water bottles since there was no way to get to the 5,000 port-a-potties that lined the Mall. Even if they were only 30 feet away, once you left your spot it was impossible to squeeze back through the crowd.
There was a feeling of hope for change in the air as about 2.5 million people from different corners of the world huddled together in the Mall for warmth and watched the sun rise over the capital building. Everywhere I looked, people held signs that read “MLK IS SMILING” or “YES WE DID!”
When the ceremony finally began at 11:30, the energy from the crowd was insane. People cheered and chanted when the huge screens showed the face of another famous person. When Barack Obama stepped out, I never thought the millions of people crammed into the Mall would stop cheering. But when the new president began his inaugural address, I was amazed by how silent 2.5 million people could be.
President Obama’s speech was definitely a contrast to his previous speeches where he would stir the crowds into “Yes, we can!” chants. This speech represented the current challenges our country is facing. It was a transition from the celebratory hope of the election into the plain truth that it is now time to rescue and rebuild the nation after eight years of the Bush administration. He called upon the initiative and creativity of the American people, making us aware of the power and responsibility we each have “in the midst of a crisis.”
Despite the fact that Obama is the first black President of the U.S., he said little on the subject of race, never using the word black. He made only one direct reference to his own background, stating that it was a triumph of American ideals that "a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."
After the ceremony, the city was chaotic! People were frantically trying to get out of the mall and to the metro station. Security had set up barricades all over the Mall and along several streets. Eveyone began to jump the walls and squeeze under the fences despite the yelling security gaurds. Once my friends and I got out of the Mall we headed towards the Smithsonian because we heard they were letting people in to warm up. When we finally made it inside, the floor was covered with sleeping people! It looked like a homeless shelter.
It was definitely a life-changing day. Not only did I get to see the first black president sworn into office, but I was able to see people from all over the world come together. Everywhere I looked people were helping each other out by sharing blankets and cheering each other on when hopping the barricades. I have never been crammed into a small area with millions of people and I felt a strange connection with every single person as we were all blessed to be able to attend such a historic event.
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