Tuesday, January 20, 2009

From the Other Side of the World

I was the first person to get to the American Club and find a seat in front of the projection television broadcasting a live feed from CNN. I was concerned for a moment that Taco Night at the dinning hall would prove more popular than the inauguration of the 44th president, but as the festivities progressed the room started to fill.

Minutes before Obama gave his speech there was a line at the bar and all of the chairs were filled. Snippets of conversations floated around the room. A young man in a suit next to me found it strange that Cheney hurt his back moving boxes at his home, “You’d think he could afford to hire some movers for that stuff.” An overweight Southern woman sitting to my right leaned in and said, “You know, I didn’t really like Obama but I have a good feeling about him. I think he’s going to be okay.”

Champagne was uncorked and plastic cups were passed around the room. Applause broke out more than once, and everyone stood while the national anthem was recited.

It was a very good speech.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Happy Inauguration Day