New Morning

Written by hillel-aron on January 20, 2009

Sure enough, they were ripping out traffic lights and welding manhole covers last night:

I got myself up at seven in the morning and headed down to the Foggy Bottom subway station. Getting on wasn't too bad- the car was crowded, but nothing citizens of Tokyo don't go through on a regular basis. Getting out of the subway proved a bit harder- it took more than a half hour. By the time we got out, it felt like the end of the movie The Descent.

Things weren't exactly organized, and it was pretty hard to find out where to go. I had silver tickets, which got me just behind the frozen Capitol Hill reflecting pool:

We waited for hours. Our feet became numb. We heard enough marching band music to last a lifetime. They started introducing people, including one that we are all happy to see go:

Finally, the ceremony began. Rick Warren gave a surprisingly moving benediction. Smokin  Joe Biden got sworn in. Some classical music all-stars played. When Obama was sworn in, I could hardly believe it was finally happening. 

Obama's speech was short. He went to great lengths to warn people of the challenges ahead. The feeling in the crowd was oddly serene. The air was cold, but sun shone down gently. It was as if the world had been set right.

Leaving the mall was even more difficult than getting in. It seemed like every street was shut for the parade, and there were no signs telling us where to go. We were all cold, and our feet hurt. And then I heard a woman behind me:

She was the first person I'd heard said it. It felt so good.