Amazing Grace

Yes I went to the inauguration and yes it was an amazing event. So much has been written about it, and so many photos and video viewed, but I doubt people saw what I saw.

My friend C and I went as early as we could shake ourselves awake on Monday to pick up the tickets at the Russell Senate Building. The cold wasn’t really biting and the air had softness to it despite the temperature. The hawkers were everywhere selling Obamabilia. Laughter, smiles and stories were shared everywhere. On the Metro a man told me of his journey from Minnesota, an elderly black woman beaming said she had driven up with her family from Alabama, a young family with children were singing and dancing and laughing at the thought of a Black man in office. Everywhere we went people were happy, generous and kind. We were in a state of suspended animation.
When we arrived at the Senate we went into Senator Snowe’s office and were given the now infamous Blue Tickets. No one knew at the time what lay ahead of us. My daughter swooned over these tickets saying they were the best anyone had. C and I were totally pumped for Tuesday. We slogged back to the odd little apartment where we were staying, had a celebratory bevie and planned for the next day. Alas, one could not possibly plan for what was about to happen.

We were up earlier than Mother M ever gets up, and out the door to enter the throngs going towards the Capitol. We congratulated ourselves on how un-crowded the bus was and figured we were way ahead of the game. Yeah, I think old Will Shakespeare had something to say about pride and falling down. With most of the streets cordoned off it was quite the hike to the appalling line that now stretched before us. OMG I’d never seen anything like that, it wasn’t a line it was more like a giant hedge of people. You know those hedges they have in Disneyland to keep you from knowing how long the lines truly were, well in this case they ditched the plants and there was just a solid wall of people. It didn’t matter; we were the Willy Wonkas with the magic Blue Tickets so we felt sure we’d soon be ushered to our spot. Not so much.
There were no officials, no national guard, not custodians of the public morals to be found. No one knew anything except we all had the magic tickets and we were aiming toward a gate. I lost C by then, and was just smushed in with other folks. The good news is being so close you don’t feel the cold so much. Everyone was excited and talking about what time they had gotten there, how far they had come, what it all meant to them to be in this line. That unfortunately was as far as we got. Some massive snafu meant that we weren’t going to get past the security gate, and we were so packed in that it was hard to get out.

Ah but those of you who know Mother M know I would not be denied. I excused me-ed all the way through the crowd and when they rushed the silver gates, I was right there. I was far away, but I could see and hear fine. And that’s when it happened, something that no one saw. Standing there as Aretha started to sing a swarm of birds lifted up off the ground and swirled around the Capitol Building twice and then flew away. I smiled and knew it was His blessing on all of us. Despite the cold and the crowds and…there we stood in a state of grace which lasted till dawn the next day. There in that time, in that place 2,000,000 strong stood together, clapped, cried, cheered, and treated each other with joy and grace. And I was once again there to witness the very best of what we can be. Amazing Grace