Looking at the crowds of people on that beautiful Chicago evening when our country changed the world by electing President-elect Obama as number 44, I was struck by the importance of the moment and the tremendous satisfaction, pride, and hope reflected in the faces of so many.
Of course I did not have the opportunity to experience the sheer importance of the moment, instead spent it in front of my computer, on this and other sites sobbing like a baby.
The inauguration of Obama will be the end of something special, started by the netroots over almost 2 years to elect a man whose inspiration and ability to lead mobilized this community to leave it all on the road. But, it will also signal the beginning of a long and tough road ahead where the future of this country will be in the balance. Our 44th president will need all the prayers and support we can muster to succeed. As an Haitian-American, a woman, and a graduate student living on a student budget, I have to find a way to get to DC to support this man. Perhaps I just want to party. I think though it's that I really want to experience this moment in person to believe that it's actually real.
After reading this article on WaPo, felt the need to see my dreams and efforts realized in person, and rejoice with my fellow Americans on this amazing moment of jubilation and hope. I plan on finding a way to get to DC from Berkeley, CA even if it’s just for a day. This will be the moment to exhale before we really get down to solving the serious problems our nation faces.
I plan to be in DC for the inauguration in January. I hope you’ll be there too.