{Tina at the inaugural concert}
My sweet Baby O...(I mean Ortyl, not Obama)
I wish you were around to see this. DC is quite the site to behold. When you come visit me in DC I'm sure you will have fun. You will be a cute girl who will smile and laugh at all sorts of fun and interesting things. You will love the butterfly exhibit at the National Museum of Natural Sciences! You will laugh and point at all the animals at the zoo, but you will inevitably become tired (and like a typical Fox girl you will get grumpy when you are hungry and need a nap). Like the average person coming to the capital, you might not be excited about EVERYTHING you come across. That is why I wish you could be here today. It seems like everyone in this city is happy, excited, inspired, and hopeful. Today is Martin Luther King Day. Yesterday was the kick off to the Presidential Inauguration for Barak Obama...and tomorrow. Tomorrow is a day that many people have been waiting for. Barak Obama will be the 44th man to take the oath of office. I'm going to go watch.
The concert was amazing. I have never seen so many people in the same place at once...and EVERYONE was happy. There were people from every state in the union and people from other countries. We stood for 3 hours in 30 degree weather, unable to move because there were so many people crowded around, to cheer for Barak and celebrate this big change for America. Some people will tell you the change they are excited about is that for the first time ever a black man will be the President. Others might say the change they are most excited for is that George W. Bush will no longer be president (I don't blame them). But I believe, and am sure most people would agree, that the biggest change...and the most exciting change...is the fact that millions of Americans have been propelled into action. They may have acted out by voting, or volunteering, or traveling across the country to see this man promise to guide our country to the best of his ability, but for the first time a whole new division of America is standing up and joining the effort. I saw 16 year old Hispanic girls giddy about the new President. When I was 16 I certainly wasn't excited about politics. It warms my heart to see people interested. This man has inspired millions of Americans...and that inspiration is evident in the faces of so many strangers as I walk though the streets of my city.
As I stood on the mall sandwiched between the World War 2 memorial, the Washington Monument, and hundreds of thousands of spectators I felt a surge of love and community. I was separated from my friends due to the crowds, but standing there alone I did not feel lonely at all. Everyone around me was laughing, and cheering for the presenters, and musicians, and when Garth Brooks sang Shout! everyone was jumping up and down! It was so much fun! I ended up running into a friend in the crowd and we both agreed...this was a sight that we will remember and talk about until the day we die!
To be honest not everyone in the city is happy. There are a few people that are in bad moods. And no, I am not referring to the Republicans. They all seem to be enjoying the excitement in the air as well. The taxi drivers are in horrible moods! I really don't blame them! There are so many roads closed for security and with 3-5 million visitors coming to tiny DC the streets that are still open are packed. The metro is running from 4 am until 4 PM on the day of the inauguration with the same schedule they usually use during rush hour, which means a new train ever 3 minutes. The news said don't take the metro if you live within 2 miles of downtown a few weeks ago. Yesterday I heard them say to avoid the metro if you are within 10 miles of down town! Luckily I live 5 blocks from the capitol so I can walk anywhere without much trouble!
Tomorrow I plan to walk to the mall and meet some friends. I wont be very close to the capitol so i will get to see the whole thing on a jumbo screen and hear everything over the loud speakers! It will be lots of fun! I wish you could be here! I bet you can youtube the highlights!
I've been to a reception thrown by the Oklahoma State Society, a couple of dinner parties, and a soiree thrown by a French organization in a Russian bar! Everyone is excited and celebrating! I also went by Ben's Chili bowl. It is a dive restaurant in a historically black area of town. This joint has been around since 1958. [http://www.benschilibowl.com/] Obama ate lunch there a week ago with Mayor Fenty so when my old roommate Keosha and I stopped by with her sister the line was about 100 people deep! We decided to stick it out..it was about 1:30 AM and we needed something hearty and greasy in our tummies. I'm sure you will understand one day! Talk about a riot. The people working behind the counter look like they have been there since the restaurant opened it's doors! We were dancing to Michael Jackson on the jukebox and making friends with everyone in line with us! By the end of the night I had a chili cheese dog, a chocolate shake, and a cute boy had my number! My roommate and I headed home after trying for 30 minutes to get a cab...that was Saturday night and I haven't warmed up since. Hope you and your mom and dad are snuggled up and enjoying Denver!
I also hope that everyone sits down tomorrow to watch the inauguration with someone. (For the schedule of events click here) A coworker, a neighbor, a friend...or even call a friend on the phone. The world is always changing...and so often we feel like we have no control over it...but in this case I think so many people are hopeful and excited because they are reassured by this change, feel connected to the movement in one way or another, or believe that their efforts and beliefs have been justified! Big changes and lots of excitement...these are the things that make life so fun!
all my love, sweet girl!
your aunt t-frannie!
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