From: Haile Abraham (haileab99@msn.com)
Date: Wed Jan 21 2009 - 13:46:01 EST
Hello Dehaiers,
At least, living in the Washington, DC area, I can say that it had its own valuable advantage to put me in the middle of a historical event without all that travel-associated drama. Oh yes, out-of-towners flocked by the hundreds of thousands into our neighborhood and we were advised by the local news media that driving would be almost impossible. We, the local residents, were terrified but at the same time very excited. We knew tickets to the swearing-in ceremony and all the inaugural balls were hard, if not impossible to get. And later on, we found out that access to Pennsylvania Avenue, where the motorcade strolls and the President gets out of his limo and walks for few blocks, were sealed off to pedestrians unless you happened to be there before 8:00am in a 10 below degree temperature.
So being a local resident I neither tried to get any tickets to any event nor was I willing to wrap myself up with a heavy blanket on Pennsylvania ave at 7:00am in the morning. But after contemplating for several hours whether to watch the entire event in the comfort of my home or from within, I was jolted by something that forced me to get up and be a part of history, a part of a significant moment in my lifetime - The inauguration of an African-American President for the first time in American history.
So I decided to brave the cold weather and went to see the "We are One" concert on Saturday at the Lincoln memorial that featured several super stars, and also to the first part of the inauguration ceremony, including the swearing-in and the inaugural speech on Tuesday. I have to admit being in the thick of it, especially at a distance so far away from the main stage, I missed a lot of close-up activities. If it were not for the many large screen TVs that were strategically located all over the mall, I would've definitely missed everything. And if I were as experienced as those many who came prepared for the cold weather, I would've been more comfortable. But that's the beauty of a history in the making!!!
It was estimated that more that 1.5 million people attended this historical event and according to police reports, there was not even ONE single arrest for any anything illegal. This gathering of a large crowd has never been choreographed and never rehearsed, it was imply poetic and you have had to be there to experience it. Being in the middle of this crowd, I have never seen or felt so much electricity, energy, enthusiasm and camaraderie among bunch of people who don't even know each other. Everyone acted like they have won a million dollar lotto. The constant high-five, friendly smiles and hugs, songs and chants that have filled the air space is beyond explanation. The moment is indescribable. It is something that you ask yourself a question but do not want to waste a single moment to try to answer it but just enjoy it!! I will say one thing though. Joy may come in two forms; one, when bad is removed and two, when good is installed. Perhaps the departure of Bush and the arrival of Obama doubled the joy factor!
In conclusion, I must say that as an Eritrean-American, I feel very happy and proud to be a part of this. And while I wish Obama the best of luck in his administration, and particularly towards his African policy, I would also like to with the crowd's joy to be the beginning of a new era in our planet. In the end, even though there were thousands of vendors selling all kinds of memorabilia of the moment, I would leave you with one that caught my attention.
Enjoy!
Can you see his initials???
Haile A.
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live™ Hotmail®…more than just e-mail.
http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_hm_justgotbetter_howitworks_012009
