So I’ve been back and forth in my mind about going to the Inauguration on Tuesday morning. My current (and most likely final) decision: No.
I was gonna go because I wanted to get my own footage of this historic occassion, but after surveying the areas available for civilian photography, the chances became too slim to get a good shot. At least too slim to stand out there in the cold for an hour or more. No one outside of the ticketed areas will be able to even see the ceremony without looking at the jumbotrons they’re putting out there, so I’d rather be warm and watch it on a TV with my family.
I also wanted to go because I wanted to be able to tell my future kids and grandkids “I was there”. But the real question is, on Wednesday January 21, when all the hype starts to go down, will I still “be there”? Or will my participation in Obama’s plans for our country end after his speech outside the Capitol? I want my kids and grandkids to “feel” that I was there from the way they are able to live because of the role I played as a citizen in this nation during such bitter times.
My desire to be there for the sake of just being there is barely enough to convince me to endure the obstacles that would only end in me standing in front of a big screen four blocks from the main event. But man, this is once in a lifetime stuff. There will never be another first Black President, ya know?
We’ll see what happens.