There is one picture taken on Inauguration that describes how I felt. Exhausted. I'm incredibly happy that I went to inauguration. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience to be on the Mall at 5am and meet people from across the nation. I met a family from Newark, some guys from Chicago, heard voices of people from California. I felt almost like a local, coming from Baltimore. We literally had Caucasians, African-Americans, Indians, and Asians, old people and little kids united in their excitement and frozen feet.
I've really never seen so many flags in my life, being waved (courtesy of the inauguration volunteers). After September 11, I felt that there was this pseudo-flag-waving with people placing flag bumper stickers on their gas-guzzling SUVs. Somehow, this blend of commercialism and patriotism felt detached and unreal. Inauguration Day was the biggest display of patriotism that I've seen.
Which lasted until all 2 million of us wanted to leave the Mall at the same time through one exit. By the time that A and I reached the Lincoln Memorial, we were starving. [My honeycrisp apple and chewy granola bars were frozen.] The hot dog stand was never so welcome nor did a skinny hot dog with a cold bun ever taste so good.
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