Back To Work--II...The Inauguration

Yeah, not so much on the writing work these past holiday weeks.

Instead, I jumped on the buzz of flying west to see family, did some wine tasting and hung out with beloved friends.

Maybe I needed the lift.

Now, I actually have nothing to distract me and nothing to look forward to. Maybe I can sit here all night and finally bang something out...

OH YEAH, WAIT--the inauguration.

Now there's a buzz I can work for a few days...AND, not only that, we've got TICKETS.

Tickets might not mean that we're that close to the swearing-in, but it GUARANTEES, I think, that we get to at least hear it. That means I'm going to get to hear every single inspirational, hopeful, yes-we-can word, and hear it live. It's almost bringing me to tears now.
I need it. I need to hear all of it.

I don't go to church, I don't get the emotional lift of being a Christian anymore. I'm hoping for a spiritual lift about my country (if not my religion) that will launch me into the next few years of being an American. Ain't nothing going to change my being an American, and I'd love to catch a new vision of what that can mean. I voted that Obama is just the man to lay it out for me, so I'm going to listen.

PLUS, I'm excited because the city is all hyped-up and full of people who are jazzed to be here and in a great mood. I'm working all weekend and we'll be slammed at the coffee/wine bar. We were today--we sold out of some things and wine flew off the shelves. It's fun to be in the mix.

Absolutely NO ONE I know here is going to the inauguration. Everyone, I'm sure, thinks we are crazy. It seems the locals are staying off the roads or leaving town--Republicans as well as Democrats.

Losers.

Cynical, seen-it-all, nothing-surprises-them, losers.

Get on-board and get hopeful about something for crying out loud, this is history-in-the-making. Yes the crowds are a big fat pain and it will be difficult to get anywhere, I realize that. But we get to have a beautiful, hopeful, talented, young, new president and I for one am going to listen to every word of his speech. I am so hopeful he will be all he can be and do the best he can over there in that lonely house across the river, just a couple miles from here.

God help him.

We're going to bicycle to the capitol, it will be the fastest way. Barriers are already up, roads are to be closed, there's no parking, and the subway is supposed to be hours behind schedule. They're expecting 2-4 million, at least twice as many as have ever congregated on the mall. 10,000 tour buses are expected to park at RFK and Redskins Park--sounds like they're not sure they can even get everyone in.

Maybe we should have rented out our place for a few thousand like some of our neighbors. Maybe we should have taken the money, flown west, watched it on CNN with my parents in Paso, with friends in Vegas, or in a cabana in the Bahamas for crying out loud....

Not a chance. I'm not going to miss this one. I was here for W's first inaugural and that was even cool, if almost too easy. We only had to bike a few blocks from home, brave some freezing weather and a reasonable crowd. We saw him easily. This one should be about ten times cooler--according to the weather forecast and the buzz. It will probably cause me to buy some cheesy Obama coffee mug and sweatshirt once I get there, I won't be able to help myself. I've resisted so far and have only bought them for my out-of-town friends, but it might be required. I get a little crazy about my American history, especially when I get to witness it. That poli-sci/history degree raises it's ugly head at times like this, especially after my civil rights studies....

Anyway...after all that, then, maybe, I can focus on doing some writing work and progress in my own life. After. OR--and this is a stretch--maybe I'll learn to write WHILE buzzed on Obama and history. Maybe I can jot down a thing or two between now and then...

What a concept.