1.20.2009

Dis', Dat and De Udder: Inaugural Edition

Thoughts on a day...

Aretha was magnificent – her voice can stir a soul like no other. And given her fashion history, her ginormous bow hat was not unexpected. It was large enough, though, that Capt. Sully would have been able to land a plane upon it.


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When did Walter Mondale morph into William F. Buckley Jr.? Seriously – I didn’t recognize him during his walk-up to the Inaugural dignitary holding pen.

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The First Daughters are simply adorable – what beautiful children. Although you can totally see the mischievous glint in Sasha’s eyes … It’s going to be fun to watch them grow up – but I don’t want to see too much. They need their privacy and space to simply be kids. I hope they’re afforded that.

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The Teddy Kennedy health scare certainly added a different hue to the day… his robust appearance before the ceremony was deceptive, sadly. It’s a sobering reminder that even on a day infused with celebration and hope that the obstacles we face don’t always take a holiday.

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I’m not a fan of the outgoing President. However, the boos and jeers and choruses of “Hey hey goodbye” when he was introduced were inappropriate and disrespectful and out of place at such an occasion.

People, that’s just tacky.

I also noticed a disproportionate amount of disparaging comments attached to blog/news pieces about Senator Kennedy’s situation. We need a national primer in manners, since people don’t seem to have any – or aren’t deploying them.

And for an example of good manners, we need to look no further than to the First Lady herself, who brought a gift for the Bushes with her to the White House this morning – such a gracious gesture.

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I rather liked the Inaugural poem – I think. I need to take some time to read it, as while the lovely poet Elizabeth Alexander has many talents, public reading may not be one of them. I could hear and see my college oral performance professor Ms. Norris saying “find the natural rhythm – don’t over emphasize anything."

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One of my favorite moments during the Inauguration Ceremony came during the benediction given by civil rights icon Rev. Joseph Lowrey. Begun with a phrase from the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, laced with Scripture references and ended with a phrase of wit that was all the more powerful coming from a man who has seen more than his share of inequality during his lifetime.

Take a look and a listen:



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Today, I laughed, I cried, I sang, I prayed, I smiled, I cheered, I thought, I reacted, did I mention I cried, I pondered, I applauded, I was silent.

Tomorrow, I’m taking action.

Because as President Obama said...

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

I have a job to do. We all do. A responsibility to our country. Land that we love.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely lovely as always and a classy recap of one of the biggest days in this country's history.

Anonymous said...

I love that we watched together, even though we were apart. Such a momentous day. Thank you for summing it up so eloquently.

Anonymous said...

What you gonna do, Mizz Janey?

janey jay said...

Great question -- I'm going to start by simply carrying the goodwill of today into tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that. Be consciously kind. Helpful. Pro-active in action... meeting a need when I see it. Paying the toll of the dude behind me. Buying that hungry fellow standing on the side of the road a meal (picking up something at McDonald's and dropping it off.

I'm sure there will be more concrete things that shall come into clearer focus in time. But why wait... let's go now.

Crys said...

Very well done. I agree with you hole heartily about respect to George W, he did the job to the best of his ability, while I wasn't a fan of his he still deserved respect. After all most American's elected him before Obama.

Respect is something most Americans have been lacking of late. But I guess when we've been screwed as much as we have lately it is really hard to respect those that took advantage of their positions to make more money.

Anonymous said...

What an inspiring day!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the rundown, CJ style. I enjoyed sharing the morning's fashion with you! I hope we can all keep each other inspired the way Obama inspired us today!

Marissa said...

Tears of joy have afflicted me today. I stood by the radio at work shedding quiet tears. I didn't dare show them to anyone. They dont seem to understand how deeply this touches me; touches us. We are a country of hope.
There's such a beauty enveloping us.
My son came home today from school. I asked if he watched the President's speech. He said, "yes, mom. It was inspirational. I feel good."

JimBob51 said...

I agree with you on the George Bush treatment - absolutely unnecessary and disrespectful to The former President.

I hardly missed a minute of the whole thing and it was 3am in the morning here. A man with a huge challenge but certainly showing the strength to carry the burden.

A history making, awe inspiring day.

Anonymous said...

Your recap is fantastic! I missed Aretha's "hat." Oy, good thing it wasn't windy or she may have taken flight!

XOXO

TopSurf said...

As usual you summed it up perfectly.

Anonymous said...

The lack of manners swings both ways, I must admit. I was actually on the Capitol Lawn with our three kids for the last inauguration and I recall the Clintons getting a literal (we'd had two days of snow) and figurative frosty reception. On a millinery note, I dug Aretha's hat and thought that for her it was almost restrained.