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January 20, 2009--Inauguration Day
17 years ago
You know how people always say "I remember where I was/what I was doing/what I was thinking when..." with a generationally appropriate major event? There's a recent study out there that says people actually don't remember--they usually end up embellishing or leaving out details. So, on this generationally appropriate major event, the Inauguration of the first African American President, I will record what I am doing, where I am, and my thoughts in order to preserve them for as long as FurAffinity stays up. Please feel free to add your own comments/what yo're doing spread the idea around/whatever.
9:34 MST: At the moment Im sitting in the Classroom bulding lobby, watching the live feed from CNN on the laptop. Approximately 25 minutes to go. It's nice, accompanying the live feed is facebook comments, and many people are complaining about not being able to watch the event as they have work or classes. I'm fortunate to be in between classes for the 10am Inaug. I'm amazed that no one in the computre banks in front of me are doing the same thing.
9:36: President George W. Bush arrives on stage. A feeling of "finally, the last time." I've been relatively insulated from his caused problems, being a college student and a female, but still. 8 years of a bad joke over. (Nearly.)
9:39: Every time CNN pans over the National Mall, I'm amazed at how many PEOPLE are there. Estimates are over 2 million. Who knew it would be a black guy that go so many people giving a rats ass about what happened in Washington? :-D
9:41: CNN isn't doing much dubbing over the sounds of the crowd. I kind of like it. Almost like being there...almost. Not that I'd really want to--watching this from the comfort of my own computer on campus is close enough for government work. I do have this forbodding idea that something bad will happen...but I doubt it will. Oh! One of my old friend's father, who is a sheriff in my hometown, is there doing security! Can't forget that.
9:43: President Elect Obama arrives on stage. Weird how when this happens, I'm blogging. On a furry site.
9:46: Jesus...getting choked up, and we're not even on the Inauguration part yet.
9:48: Invocation. Suprisingly unreligious. Religious, but not...overly so. Two mentions so far, between the last speech and this one, of the "I Have A Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr...another suprisingly unreligious speech from a religious figure. I listened to "I Have A Dream" back my sophomore year of high school...it was eerie. In a good way, though...I'd like to think Mr. King is dancing up in heaven today. Choked up again.
9:53: Aretha Franklin doing "My Country Tis Of Thee." Awesome! I ask though, is Inauguration always this...showy? Lots of inspirational, flag-waving images from CNN. Betcha they find their way onto Youtube.
9:57: Oath of Office for the Vice President. CNN is picking up a lot of laughter from the crowd. Even 2000 miles away, the excitement and joy is practically palpable.
9:59: Itzak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill perform a piece custom written by John Williams "Air and Simple Gifts". Also very cool...though I thought Perlman was dead. Yo-Yo Ma looks absolutely thrilled to be there and performing. I would be too. LOL, everyone was playing too fast...CNN couldn't keep up with the stream.
10:05: Presidental Oath of Office. Damn, honestly it doesn't sound like Obama rehersed this! He keeps stumbling. Either that or he's nervous. Don't blame him.
10:06: And in the time it took me to write the above, totally over. Senator Barack Obama is now 44th President of the United States Barack Obama. Damn.
10:08: Obama thanks Bush. Classy.
10:11: Inaugural Address. No hint of the stumbles from before. Must have been nerves from the whole "Officially Becoming President"...thing.
So this became rather long, instead of a just "where I was" sort of thing...but that's okay. As I said...just for posterity's sake...write down where you where when you heard the news. Tuck it in an envelope, and if you choose to have kids, you can then show them.."I wrote this way back when." Be a cool little keepsake, if nothing else.
Thanks for reading, folks.
9:34 MST: At the moment Im sitting in the Classroom bulding lobby, watching the live feed from CNN on the laptop. Approximately 25 minutes to go. It's nice, accompanying the live feed is facebook comments, and many people are complaining about not being able to watch the event as they have work or classes. I'm fortunate to be in between classes for the 10am Inaug. I'm amazed that no one in the computre banks in front of me are doing the same thing.
9:36: President George W. Bush arrives on stage. A feeling of "finally, the last time." I've been relatively insulated from his caused problems, being a college student and a female, but still. 8 years of a bad joke over. (Nearly.)
9:39: Every time CNN pans over the National Mall, I'm amazed at how many PEOPLE are there. Estimates are over 2 million. Who knew it would be a black guy that go so many people giving a rats ass about what happened in Washington? :-D
9:41: CNN isn't doing much dubbing over the sounds of the crowd. I kind of like it. Almost like being there...almost. Not that I'd really want to--watching this from the comfort of my own computer on campus is close enough for government work. I do have this forbodding idea that something bad will happen...but I doubt it will. Oh! One of my old friend's father, who is a sheriff in my hometown, is there doing security! Can't forget that.
9:43: President Elect Obama arrives on stage. Weird how when this happens, I'm blogging. On a furry site.
9:46: Jesus...getting choked up, and we're not even on the Inauguration part yet.
9:48: Invocation. Suprisingly unreligious. Religious, but not...overly so. Two mentions so far, between the last speech and this one, of the "I Have A Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr...another suprisingly unreligious speech from a religious figure. I listened to "I Have A Dream" back my sophomore year of high school...it was eerie. In a good way, though...I'd like to think Mr. King is dancing up in heaven today. Choked up again.
9:53: Aretha Franklin doing "My Country Tis Of Thee." Awesome! I ask though, is Inauguration always this...showy? Lots of inspirational, flag-waving images from CNN. Betcha they find their way onto Youtube.
9:57: Oath of Office for the Vice President. CNN is picking up a lot of laughter from the crowd. Even 2000 miles away, the excitement and joy is practically palpable.
9:59: Itzak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill perform a piece custom written by John Williams "Air and Simple Gifts". Also very cool...though I thought Perlman was dead. Yo-Yo Ma looks absolutely thrilled to be there and performing. I would be too. LOL, everyone was playing too fast...CNN couldn't keep up with the stream.
10:05: Presidental Oath of Office. Damn, honestly it doesn't sound like Obama rehersed this! He keeps stumbling. Either that or he's nervous. Don't blame him.
10:06: And in the time it took me to write the above, totally over. Senator Barack Obama is now 44th President of the United States Barack Obama. Damn.
10:08: Obama thanks Bush. Classy.
10:11: Inaugural Address. No hint of the stumbles from before. Must have been nerves from the whole "Officially Becoming President"...thing.
So this became rather long, instead of a just "where I was" sort of thing...but that's okay. As I said...just for posterity's sake...write down where you where when you heard the news. Tuck it in an envelope, and if you choose to have kids, you can then show them.."I wrote this way back when." Be a cool little keepsake, if nothing else.
Thanks for reading, folks.
Wish I wasn't taking finals and catching a bus home, would have been able to sit and actually watch the whole thing. The amount of people there was... crazy. Absolutely crazy.