It's 5:30 am and the Capt, down in La Cruz, is packed and ready to catch a bus to the Puerto Vallarta airport. At noon I'll pick up my friend Ale in Guaymas and we'll drive to Hermosillo to meet the Capt at the airport. The boat stays behind in a slip at La Cruz marina.
I haven't watched a presidential inauguration since Clinton, but yesterday I made a point of witnessing Obama's swearing-in and watching him dance to "At Last" with Michelle in her white gown (organza covered with little roses, politely scorned by the fashion commentators) at the first of ten inaugural balls. I hope she was wearing comfortable shoes. We don't have HDTV and the photos I shot off the screen are pretty grainy, but I couldn't resist capturing this occasion. Broad smiles all around, except among the Bush crowd, who were looking pretty grim.
Moments that stayed with me: the CNN anchors making much of the fact that the Capitol and the White House were both built by slaves, who were kept in pens like cattle. Aretha Franklin in an amazing hat singing "My Country Tis of Thee." A carpet of humanity screaming for joy. Obama's references to "our patchwork heritage." Michelle presenting Laura with a gift-wrapped box before they entered the White House for a morning coffee...bagels? scones? a homemade coffeecake? I'd love to have been a fly on the wall for that coffee conversation.
Eons ago when the Clintons and Gores danced around the stage to "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" after his acceptance speech, I had a poignant moment of hope that, in retrospect, I'm almost embarrassed about now. But when Obama took office yesterday, there it was again: that stubborn flicker of optimism, borne on a wave of relief at seeing the last of the Bush crowd. Change was the theme of the day, picked up by the corporate advertisers who cashed in on the biggest worldwide TV show in history. Starbucks...Pepsi...Blackberry...
I felt a little like Linus, running to kick Lucy's football once again. Wouldn't it be wonderful if, this time, we didn't fall flat on our faces?
6 comments:
"Michelle presenting Laura with a gift-wrapped box before they entered the White House for a morning coffee..."
Interesting that you picked up on this. I didn't give it a second thought until my Mexican wife and my mother-in-law told me that this had a great significance for people of color in emerging nations all over the world. The beautiful, tall, and regal Michelle handing down a small gift to Laura Bush showed that Michelle was a "level" above Laura even though I am sure that Michelle certainly never intended this. It was like a queen handing a trifle to one of her subjects. I am waiting to see if this is talked about in the press.
Great blog! I noticed that the minute Laura walked in the door she "handed off" the box to someone standing in the wings.
Where I grew up, a gift was opened in the presence of the giver so thanks could be appropriately given. Oh well, "they" are gone! Thank God. I'm so glad they escorted them to the helicopter so they couldn't slip back in........
The whole thing was probably choreographed and rehearsed like the rest of the inauguration. "Michelle, you get out of the car, pass around the back and walk up behind Obama, hand off the package to Laura...Laura, wait till you get inside the door to pass off the package...OK, everybody wave..."
Linus running up on the football one more time... you have hit my feelings exactly. Perfect analogy!
I missed that... But I don't think I'd have gotten the significance of it.
My husband just said tonight... "he had better hit the ground in more than a run or he'll end up just like all the rest...." And we will fall flat on our face, or on our backsides.
I like you have hope.
I heard the gift was a journal & pen with date written at top of 1st page to record the post-presidential years ... I thnk it was just nice. No hidden agendas.
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