Normally, I’m a private person. I don’t much like crowds. Others like parties; I like movies. Others may go to a bar to watch a big ballgame; I’m quite content to enjoy it at home, alone. But today was different. While unable to travel to Washington, I yearned to see Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th president from within the warm embrace of a crowd.
The board of a local, historic opera house built in the 1800’s decided that today it would attempt its first-ever live broadcast. They threw open their doors to the public and offered a free viewing of the inauguration. So I took the day off from work and joined 900 others to soak in the experience. It was magical, joyous, and overwhelming.
But it was more than that.
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