Inauguration — My Story

Millions of people took part in the inauguration festivities last week, making for millions of different stories. Here's mine...

Sunday

I got up and headed down to DC around 10:30 to meet some of my friends at the "We Are One" concert. I got off at Farragut North and stopped by my office to use the restroom. Then I walked down 17th St., passed the White House with tourists taking pictures of the empty bleachers and blocked off road, not to mention several vendors (plenty of shirts, magnets, buttons, hand/foot warmers, etc.). It was still early, around 11 something.

I got down to the WWII Memorial and got in line to go through security. I had no bag, so they sent me to the far right line where I could watch the line to my left move quickly by. How is the no bag line going to take longer than the bag line?! I wondered if I could call my camera lens in it's case a "bag" to get into the better line. I stuck it out and got through in a little bit.

And on down towards the Lincoln. My friend, Milli, had let me know to go on the left of the reflecting pool. I made my way up and over to them, off to the side, between the Korean War Memorial and the reflecting pool, where we had a view of the stage between trees and a view of a screen angled perfectly towards us. It was a great spot, though you wouldn't think so initially. Well some people did, since they were there with a tarp claiming a spot for 10 people. We joked that she should have brought a flag to stick in the ground. We lost one of our number due to complaints about not being able to see with him there. "We can't see over your hat." He's 6'6". I assure you that if he lost the hat, that wouldn't solve the situation. Then what, "We can't see over your head..."? Do you want him to remove that, too? Come on! Lou kindly didn't argue, but he just found another spot. P.S. If ever in a massive crowd setting, have the hatted Lou in your group. The easiest person to find in a crowd...in my entire life.

We had to wait in the cold a few hours. I had layered up a lot, knowing we'd be standing for hours in the cold. The walk down combined with my layers had me hot by the time I got there and on the way. But about half an hour to an hour of just standing cools you down right quick. Thanks to a previous standing in the cold for over an hour experience, we learned that sitting on shoes actually helps warm the feet. We used this knowledge to our advantage today and Tuesday. But let me not get ahead of myself.

I saw more famous people in that day than I've seen in my life. And was pleasantly surprised to find that the Obamas would actually be there. Even got a few pictures of them on stage. As well as most, almost all, of the performers even though, to be honest, I didn't know all the performers anyhow. The highlight performance was definitely Garth Brooks. The crowd was jumping and yelling "Shout!" "Hey ey ey ey!" I wished my roommate and fellow Wedding Crashers fan, Amara, had been there. I also greatly enjoyed One Love. What can I say...I was raised to love Bob Marley. Everyone had a good time, including the Obamas from there dancing and responding to it all.

Monday

MLK Jr. Day of Service. Some of my friends and I went to a service projects and volunteer fair in Rockville, MD. It was really neat; there were tons of people there at different tables creating different things, learning about organizations, making sandwiches, and so on and so forth. Several of our group signed up to be on the bone marrow donor list. Most people that heard about this later responded with hesitation at best, stating how painful it is and asking if we realized that. While I haven't had the procedure done and hence don't know personally how painful it is, I have been warned and still willingly signed up. God has blessed me so much in my life and to be able to help someone in this way is something I should be able to face the pain for. I felt particularly inclined to sign up because they need people of Pacific Islander and Asian heritage.

At the other tables, we made care packages and cards for troops, painted frames and made bookmarks and cards. It was fun and for good causes. Not to mention incredibly convenient. I hope that we will continue to do good, even when there isn't a fair and we have to actually seek out and create opportunities to do so. Or just not let opportunities pass us by...

Tuesday

Here's our master plan: get up at 3, get to the metro by 4, meet friends (Holly & Co.) at Metro Center, 12th and F St. exit, go down 12th St. to get on the mall near the Washington Monument, positioned where we might be able to get to the parade route after the inauguration.

3 a.m. — Alarm goes off. Time to get up, get ready (layered) and get out! Our goal was to get to the metro when it opened at 4 a.m., so we aimed to leave the apartment by 3:45 a.m. Not surprisingly, with five of us going, we ended up leaving a little later. Not too bad, though.

4 a.m. — We drove Winter's rental car up to the gate to park, but realized that Ariana's mom forgot her hat. We swung back down, got the hat and returned to park at the top of the complex, by the gate. We got some free clappers from the complex right at the gate and walked on to the metro. We stood on the platform to get in the last car on the train, knowing it'd be less crowded. It wasn't packed at all initially and we enjoyed our seats. Then we move along, not even stopping at Takoma, we don't think. Then comes the fun. People proceed to mess with the doors, despite the fact that there are trains running every few minutes. Some people get stuck and finally through the doors, but because someone is stuck or holding them, the train operator has to try to open the doors and close them again. Each time more people see that as their opportunity to get on this train. Some people even pushed this girl through to her mom who got separated (her fault, I say, for trying to get in without being sure her daughter could. Come on!), and the girl flies through and falls down. Then more people pour through. The train operator had been warning them that if they mess with the doors we might have to offload the train.

4:30 a.m. — The doors malfunction, so we all have to get off the train. I have a minor moment of intense anger and a little verbal outburst. Not words, just sounds. We pile out and onto the platform, being sure to be lined up for the doors of the next train. It comes, we get on and amazingly still get seats! Yes!

4:50 a.m. — We get to Metro Center and head over to the appropriate exit and wait for Holly & Co. They get there in a few minutes, and we all head through the exit and up into the streets. We make our way down to the security check point line at 12th and E St. It's about 5 a.m. at this point. Some of us get some breakfast from Au Bon Pain, myself included. Some hang out in here for most of the wait before the gates are to open at 7 a.m., or so we think. We all discuss our plan. Most everyone only cares about watching the inauguration, not the parade. We're at the security checkpoint for the parade. Holly and I somehow, in our planning the night before, missed the fact that the security checkpoints were only for the parade route, not the mall.

6:15 a.m. — We talk about walking around to get to the mall, but know it's a fair walk and the security is going to open in 45 minutes, so it'd probably make more sense to wait it out, get through security, cross Pennsylvania Ave. at 12th St. and head down to the mall, just a few blocks.

7:00 a.m. — The line which we were in the middle, closer to the front, of, somehow morphs into a crowd in which we are very near the back of. We still don't get let through the gates to the 5 metal detectors for us all for a long time. We stand, getting pushed closer. The sun had risen by this point. We slowly get pushed forward, working our way around cement road blocks and random, useless, heavy duty cones. Our group of 12 trickles through the crowd and security.

10:40 a.m. — The last of our group of 12 gets through security. And the crossing at 12th St. for Pennsylvania Ave. is closed. We're told that we can try 3rd or 20th. Our group gradually splits off into smaller ones as people decide how to deal with the situation. Sonja and Carlyle head out of the secured area to get to the mall. Ariana and her mom go to get set up for the parade route. Holly, Jennifer, Tim, Amara, Winter, Laurie and her fiance and myself scope out where we can see the inauguration within the secured area. I was not about to throw away the hours worth of getting through security. My mindset was find a place to watch it, then stay for the parade. We walk along Pennsylvania Ave., and nearly every restaurant is closed for a private event. Of course. The one place that was open and available didn't have a TV. Forget that. We end up hanging out at the Navy Memorial (sans Laurie and her fiance), accepting that we'd be listening to the inauguration over the speakers along the route.

11:25 a.m. — We see that one of the restaurants that was booked has angled a TV out to the street for us outsiders. We go over there and join the crowd at one window, and some of us press up against another window, to see a different TV—the one at the bar, which you could see some of between flags hanging on the ceiling inside.

11:30 a.m. — We can hear the inauguration on the speakers. The timing is slightly off...at least a few solid seconds. We hear, and then watch a few seconds later, the inauguration. When Obama begins speaking, I feel the emotion rising within me. I look to the left and see a woman begin to cry. I stop fighting it and let the tears come. Just one or two, because I am eagerly peering over the crowd, proud to watch our president addressing the nation and the world. I feel so blessed to be where I am, living near and working in this city. It's as though there's something new in the air. A change, a hope that rose up within me, and I know I am not alone. We are at a turning point. History is being made, and change is possible.

12:00 p.m. — After the speech, they cut the audio coverage and start playing music, much to our frustration. Amara, Winter and I decide to buckle down and weather the cold to see the parade. And by parade, I mean the Obamas part of the parade. We say goodbye to Holly, Jennifer and Tim, and we head over to a less crowded part of the route. We wait. We dance or just run in place a little to try to keep our blood flowing to our toes. The wind delivers brisk slaps of cold to our faces. We wait. We get to hear random inauguration facts from the announcer. We wait. We watch a soul train dance line. We wait.

2:30 p.m. — The estimated start time of the parade arrives! We wait.

3:00 p.m. — We are all getting antsy. I say, "This better start by 3:30 or else...", and a woman beside me waits to hear me finish with, "I'll have to wait longer." We wait.

4:00 p.m. — Finally, around 4 p.m., it begins! We get ready and have to reassess the best windows of sight we have through the crowd. There are police men and other forces all along the route, further closing windows of sight. As the various troops march by and the time gets closer, the crowd pushs in, around evermore. Then we hear screams to our left, and my heart begins to beat faster. Could it be? Are they getting out of the car? They must be. A white van blocks our view. I begin shooting pictures just holding my camera up and clicking, afraid I might not even get one good picture. Then I pull in my camera to get ready for any glimpse I might see. They get clear from the van and walk by us! We even got pictures of them. I also have several of people's hand, arms, hats, etc. But I got just a few decent shots. I am ecstatic and grateful and rejuvenated.



That rejuvenation still lingers. No longer from the glimpse I saw of our president, but from the change that has taken place in this city, this country. I feel like I am part of something great. Change has come.