The Day Has Come

We all can vividly remember days in our own history and in our country's history when something profound, something transformational happened, something that would affect our lives forever.

Sadly, many of those days were marked by tragic, unspeakable circumstances---the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy, 9-11-2001.

Today marks a moment in America's history, filled with collective hope, pride, and high expectations. I pray it goes well and that we remember this day Jan. 20, 2009, as the day we turned a page and reveled in the rebirth of our American ideals.

My 87-year-old mother will sit in her living room, watching every moment. She has called this the most significant historical event of her lifetime---for the nation and the world---which includes the Depression, several wars, assassinations and 9-11.

I will sit in my living room, watching every moment, more than likely getting choked up with emotion frequently, and I agree with my mother's assessment of this day.

Having been told by her employer to stay home for the Inauguration, my daughter will sit in her Seattle living room, watching every moment. We all agree, and we all feel deeply about the significance of what we will be watching, along with people from around the world.

The first words I heard when I turned on the TV this morning were "It gets to your heart."

Yup, I agree.


Below is my dear friend Bryant Jones' compilation of his weekend experiences in Washington. Thank you, Bryant.

Hey Marianne, Samuel L. Jackson said during the opening Inaugural Ceremony that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream has come. What has also come, on January 19, were the crowds! If this is what 500,000 people look like I am not sure I want to see what 2 to 4 million people will look like.

The crowds did indeed come to the kick off event, which was aired on ABC and available free from HBO. As I am sure one would assume, there was lots of anticipation and excitement in the air. People moved smoothly through lines, gates, and checkpoints.
The primary modes of transportation this weekend are Metro, walking, biking, or rickshaw. I rode my bike downtown to join the other half million folks who came to see the star-studded ceremony kicking off three days of Inaugural events. The concert started promptly as advertised at 2:30 in the afternoon. Bono, Tiger Woods, Josh Groban, Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx, Jon Bon Jovi, Shakira, Usher, and Sheryl Crow were just a sample of the dozens of celebrities who spoke or performed at the ceremony.

Garth Brooks rocked out to "American Pie" and was quickly joined by the crowd. Tom Hanks echoed the words of Lincoln, "We hold the power and bear the responsibility." Vice President-elect Biden spoke about the respect and dignity we should feel as Americans. Challenger, the bald eagle and symbol of our country's freedom, came on stage flanked by members from each branch of our nation's military.

After two hours of songs and speeches honoring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Abe Lincoln, the President-elect walked to the center of the stage to address the crowd.

"Despite the enormity of the tasks that lie ahead, I stand here as hopeful as ever," he said.

The crowd erupted with muffled applause because we all were wearing gloves. Some people chanted Obama's name or yelled, "Yes we did." It was a very patriotic event; I even forgot that how cold it was standing outside for hours. The D.C., Maryland, and Virginia National Guards blocked off dozens of downtown roads and two main bridges into Virginia were closed.

There were plenty of jumbo screens so everyone got a good view of the ceremony. I am off to dinner with my roommates. We are having chili tonight to warm us up from the cold day.

Hope all is well,

Bryant

For other on-site reporting by the Bessler family of Sandpoint, you can visit (www.inauguralafoot.blogspot.com).