An Inaugural Experience

the way things have been going with my ticket hopes, inaugural excitement, and historic involvement, i sadly left the inauguration disappointed and dejected...

no, it was not because transportation was gridlocked...or that the speech was not perfect for the times...or that the weight of history was too much to bear. but because even with a ticket to the blue section of the inauguration of a lifetime, i was unable to get past the broken power generators, unreliable metal detectors, thousands of people, and an unorganized debacle of a line.

yes folks...after all the hype that i made for myself, for all the energy i had exerted to make this moment one of those "i remember where i was" moments, i couldn't even get past the gate.

for me, this inauguration was an experience limited to standing in line for hours and watching as my entrance was disorganized, people pushed and created a logjam as they showed up late, lines converging where they shouldn't have, and innumerable issues with lack of coordination. and sadly, this was an experience shared by thousands of others standing beside me.

so after realizing that i probably wouldn't make it beyond the gates in time, my fellow hopeful in line and i dashed to a local bar to just catch the ceremony on tv. it may not have been the viewing experience that i had wanted or dreamed of, but as i was watching the President get sworn in, i was still awash with history and emotion. though i didn't make it onto the mall to share this moment with the 2 million others, i was part of the billions around the world who had their eyes and hearts fixated on this one man who defied prejudice, odds, and history to become this country's 44th president...and i realized, i will still remember exactly where i was when it happened.