Inauguration Testimonial II
Pete Miranti is a 2000 graduate of Kicakpoo High School who now lives in Washington D.C. He was kind enough to share his observations from our nation's capital during the week leading up to the inaugration of Barack Obama.
I’ve spent the last three years as a management consultant for the Federal Government, so I’ve gotten pretty used to the DC environment – the pace, the politics, the crowds. But I wasn’t prepared for the chaos of the inauguration. I’ve never seen that level of excitement and anticipation in this city. The week before the inauguration, the metro started getting crowded, the streets and sidewalks harder to navigate. A metro trip on Saturday at 4 p.m. looked like a weekday rush hour. Stores and restaurants were packed. I knew the crowds for the inauguration itself were going to be insane; still, I knew this was history in the making, and I wanted to be there for it. There were concerts and ceremonies and gala events all weekend that I could afford to miss, but the Inauguration Ceremony was a once-in-a-lifetime event.
My friends and I planned our route to the Inauguration Ceremony. We didn’t have tickets, but most of the Mall would be open to the public, so we decided to join the masses. I live a couple of miles from downtown, and the authorities had already told everyone in the District that if you live that close, walking would probably be our only way to the events. We left at 7:15 and hiked down to the mall, along with about 2 million other people. I wore scrubs under flannel lined jeans, two sweatshirts and a coat, gloves, hat, earmuffs, several layers of socks in order to survive being outside for four hours before the ceremony started, then an hour for the ceremony, and at least an hour to walk home; the temperature didn't get above 22 degrees until about 11 a.m.. We got to about the Washington Monument (which is actually a little over a mile from the Capitol building, where Obama was taking the oath) before it was too crowded to go forward, so we staked out a spot with a good view of the jumbotron. From then, it was just waiting.
I was amazed at how crowded it was, but everyone was so excited, and enthusiastic, and hopeful. The crowds were pretty good natured, even though we were braving several hours in the cold, and we were so far from the actual event. But it didn’t matter – we were about to witness history. Sunday’s concert was playing on the jumbotrons, keeping the masses entertained, and most people treated it like the concert was live, singing along, clapping to the music, anything to stay warm, and to capture the experience.
The Ceremony began around 11, and it was incredible. It was so amazing to share the moment of the inauguration with almost one whole percent of America standing next to you, with just as much excitement. We watched as the dignitaries entered, the excitement building until the President Elect himself walked in. The crowd went silent to hear him take the oath, and as soon as he finished “So help me God,” well, I’ve never heard a crowd like that. Obama’s inaugural address was great, but seeing him speak in person is awe-inspiring, although it made me a little nervous - I told my friends on the way home that as Obama’s talking, I sometimes forget to listen to the words; it's all just so lyrical and soothing.
Afterward, no one really paid much attention to the poet and the benediction. We all had to start leaving if we had any hope of getting out before Wednesday. The trickiest part was navigating all the barricades. On the way in, people kind of trickled through, and you could see where to go. On the way out, we couldn’t see anything but the million other people in front of us, so we have to kind of trust the crowd, which does not really work. But we made it, in pretty good time, actually, and got out ahead of most people, headed to grab a quick lunch, and then hunkered down in the apartment for the rest of the day, watching the parade from the comfort of home. It was exhausting, but totally worth it. It’s an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
