Jan

21

Inauguration Journal: Day 3

Filed Under Commentary, News |

The Inauguration

My sister, Nathalie Ames, and I were fortunate to be among the 240,000 to have tickets to yesterday’s Inauguration. We were in the “Silver Section” which was located directly behind the reflecting pool. It was the furthest ticketed area from the stage and we shared it with tens of thousands of other people.

It was quite a day. Here’s how things went.

The Commute to “The Mall”

Obama fan
An Obama supporter

We decided there was no point in getting up at 4:00 a.m. to stake out seats like some did. Having scoped out the area beforehand, we knew it would not make much of a difference where we were inside the section as long as we were there. Since security checkpoints were not scheduled to open until 9:00 a.m. anyway. So we slept in.

Around 8:30 a.m., we bundled up, stopped for coffee, and then boarded the Metro train toward the festivities. The ride was cozy, but not dangerously crowded as we had feared. We later found out that a woman at a nearby Metro Station had stepped too close to the edge and had fallen onto the track as an oncoming train approached.  Fortunately, she was pushed to safety.

Finding Our Seats

The Line
The line toward our seats

When we arrived at our station, we walked directly to the Silver Section gate and security checkpoint, only to discover that a long line had already formed. We followed the line backwards, trying to find where it ended. Each time we thought we had found it, the line wrapped a corner and continued on out of sight. After at least a mile, we started to wonder if we would make it inside the gates in time for the 11:30 am ceremony. When we finally arrived at the end of the line, we were within a couple of blocks of where we started. We had literally walked in a circle!

Thankfully, just as we arrived, officials redirected us directly toward our gate. Fifteen minutes later, we had cleared security and were relaxing as we read the morning’s paper. Whew! I read in this morning’s news that in some of the closer in sections where the security screening was more rigorous, the security staff was overwhelmed and an estimated 4,000 - 5,000 people did not make it through in time.

Inside the Silver Section

The Mall
Looking towards the Washington Monument from the Mall

The crowd was pretty subdued. It was early (especially for those who had been out celebrating the night before) and a brisk 32 degrees. A few people climbed trees for a bird’s eye view. Others wrapped themselves in blankets and napped on the lawn. Many were already jockeying for position by the giant Jumbotron monitor located in our section.

The military bands started playing around 10:00 a.m., followed by the arrival of dignitaries, which was broadcast on the giant monitor. The crowd paid increasingly more attention as the past and current politicians on the screen became more prominent. The camera turned away from the stage briefly when Chicago’s very own Oprah Winfrey arrived and took her seat for the festivities.

I could feel the excitement building in the crowd as 11:30 approached. It was like an elaborate wedding ceremony. Everyone watched on their Jumbotron as the wedding party (the politicians), the flower girls (Malia and Sasha), the mother of the bride (Marian Robinson), and the officiants (the Supreme Court Justices) filed in and assumed their respective places on stage. But mostly they anticipated when the music would shift signaling the big moment when the bride (Obama) was about to make his grand entrance!

Most people had been standing for at least an hour, many longer. Everyone roared with laughter as a voice came over the PA system saying, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats.”  Only a small number of the estimated two million visitors who came to watch history in the making actually had seats.

The Inauguration Begins

The Reaction
The crowd reacts to Obama’s inauguration

The ceremony was short and sweet. The crowd has highly attentive, listening intently to every note of music and every spoken word. If someone began talking loudly, the crowd gave them a quick shush until they fell silent. Nobody wanted to miss anything.

Unfortunately, there was a delay between the sound on the PA and the images on our giant monitor, as well as an echo that ran down the Mall. I found it easier to read the subtitles than to try to listen to the remarks. When I have time, I will make a point of reading the entire transcript.

When Barack took the oath of office, everyone sought to memorialize the moment. I have never seen so many cameras and video cameras clicking and whirling away in one place at one time.

The Crowd Departs

Frozen Pool
Spectators standing on the frozen pool

The crowd started to scatter after the Benediction, and was moving pretty fast by the time the poet came to the podium. They had seen what they had come to see, and were already on their way home, or perhaps to stake out a position on the parade route or to rest up before an inaugural ball. Fences were toppled or climbed over, gates opened and everyone was on the move. Some people walked out on the ice of the reflecting pond. I watched amazed as I noticed that a group was standing ankle deep in the freezing water.

The Evening’s Events

Exhibition
The Opening Celebration for the “Presidents in Waiting” exhibition

Later in the evening, many people came back out to attend celebratory balls and parties. When we boarded the Metra around 7:00 p.m., about half the riders were in gowns and black ties. There were 10 official balls where Barack and Michelle were expected to appear. At an average of about 3,000 people per ball, 30,000 were included. Again, many of our friends were at the Homestate Ball (for guests from Illinois and Hawaii).

My sister and I attended the opening of “Presidents in Waiting”, an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Coincidentally, the building was also the scene of Lincoln’s second inaugural ball. The party ended at 9:30 p.m., which was just perfect for us.

Turning in for the Night

By the time we arrived at the home of our host, my sister and I were pretty wiped out. The walking and standing in freezing air took its toll.  We watched a few minutes of CNN and then happily turned in for the night.

It is miraculous that the Obamas survived the day. They navigated a marathon schedule as our nation’s new President and First Lady with grace and humor. Getting sworn into a position like President of the United States in front of 2 million people (not to mention an audience of several million more who were watching on televisions all over the world) is a big deal all by itself… certainly enough to get your adrenaline going. Add to that having coffee with the outgoing President and Vice President, hosting a lunch, walking in a parade, being the focal point in a viewing stand, dropping in on 10 different black-tie balls (each in a unique location to say hello, make a speech and dance a dance), and then settling in for your first night in a new home — I am exhausted just thinking about it!

Unfortunately, there is no time for a honeymoon. I hope the Obamas were at least able to sleep in this morning before Barack rolls up his sleeves to take on the daunting task that lies before him. But oh, what a day!

P.S. I’ve updated my Flickr page with the photos I took on Inauguration Day.


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Comments

  • Several of our friends attended the Homestate Ball, and we would have tried to get tickets had we known we were going to the inauguration sooner. However, I had a chance to catch up with a few people who were there, and thought you might find their comments of interest!

    The closest Metra station closed "for security reasons," a fact they did not find out until the train was on its way past their destination. Many people had to walk back 12 blocks in their formalwear to arrive at the convention center where the ball was held.

    The ball itself offered great people watching, but a friend commented that for $2,500 a ticket, they would have appreciated more than a plate of cold spaghetti and a cash bar. While it would have been a unique experience, I don't mind that we sat that one out!
  • Anthony Hume
    What a wonderful report! I have forwarded all of this to my family. Thanks for going, for braving the cold, for seeing and noticing what you saw, and for posting it all.
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