Obama Inauguration
Waking up at four a.m. on a typical day would most definitely not have meant jumping out of my bed with excitement. However, this day, January 20, 2009, I eagerly climbed out of bed, packed on layers of clothes and joined the thousands of people willing to brave the freezing cold to gather around the Capitol for the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Lucky enough to have survived through the insane mobs of people trying to get closer to the Capitol, I finally found my seat and took it all in: I was actually sitting in front of the Capitol building about to see a monumental event take place. As the enthusiasm of the crowds, spanning all the way back to the Washington monument, grew, I knew this would be a day I would never forget. After hours of what felt like electrical currents of pride and excitement rushed through the crowds, the inauguration finally began. Silence blanketed the entire area; all focused on President-Elect Obama and what this meant for our nation.
Witnessing President Obama’s inauguration really put politics into focus for me; it was no longer just an ideal which was interesting but did not affect me, but was something in which I should take an active role. I realized this was an exciting revolution in America which sparked hope for the future. However, as I sat on the lawn of our nation’s Capitol watching the inauguration, I recognized that President Obama is just a man and the job facing him was monumental. I began wondering if he was truly up to the task…could anyone be? While I previously was passively interested politics, I then became more conscious that today’s actions affect my future. This brought a realization that I have a role to play in politics as well.
Attending the inauguration was an incredible experience which altered my impression of our country and my place in it. Feeling the hope present in the masses, I was proud to be a part of it.
