Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Obama's inaugural speech - CNN.com

Obama's inaugural speech - CNN.com

The inauguration came at a difficult time in my life. The trajectory of my life had taken a downward turn, the nadir of which I hoped had been reached a few days before the BIG DAY. The woman I had been dating, though I saw the end coming, brought that end about via an out of the blue e-mail I received in which she essentially and effectively ended our short-lived relationship (one that turns out might not have been a relationship at all). So that was over and with it went my plans to attend an Inaugural Ball at the Greenwood Cultural Center and to have somebody to lie on the futon with while watching the entire coverage of the whole amazing day.

So I spent the day alone with the boyz (Dylan was especially needy and obnoxious today – I know, I know Lynnie, “Just today?”) About sometime mid-morning I discovered that my new digital camera would capture the TV screen and depending on how steadily I held the camera or how quickly the subject was moving, the shots were respectable. So I started shooting like a shutter bug, knowing that I could later delete the images that came out a big blur. I need to find some music to accompany the slide show that I put together of shots that I took myself and need not give any credit for. Here is my favorite line from the political punditry, actually is it from one of Frangela’s (which ever one is married) husband’s comment that he only hopes America is less crappy – leading to the klassic (with a “K”) slogan – “American – Now with less Crap.” Another favorite line came from Reverend Lowery and it was one of the few mentions all day of the plight of Natives across this country: "When the Red Man can get ahead man."

Michelle Obama looked regal today in her golden dress - she is so statuesque and lovely, and her daughters are both adorable and sweet. So young and innocent, knowing that they will come of age in the White House and hoping beyond hope that they can skirt the happenings of the times – the drugs, the drama, depression, or other illnesses – if they can both just stay healthy and grounded they will drive the country into the future as two headlights on the front of the Cadillac in which their Daddy rides around town.

That is another less talked about advantage of being an American: a person can begin his/her own dynasty, build through generations an empire of people who are very good, and smart and well-connected, who can get things done. Joseph Kennedy didn’t come from royalty, neither did George H. Walker [or Prescott] Bush, neither did the Rockefellers for that matter. So what I hope we are seeing here is the beginning of a dynasty, one that will out pace the Clintons’ fame and fortune and will ultimately replace the Kennedys and the Clintons in the Democratic pantheon. And someday even the Obamas will be replaced by the Gomez familia or the Crow Dog tiospaye or the Wong family. And so time will roll on and few of us will have more than a quick ride on that slide toward the meeting with the creator who no doubt will hold most all of us close and whisper in our ears "it will be okay." and voila - it is indeed okay or at least not more than we can handle. Now when we say, "Bring it on..." we are not talking about taunting a foreign sovereign nation; we are talking about the collective nature of our future, we as a nation daring the fates to throw what they have at us and we will stand ready to take on all comers, but if you show us a way forward we will indeed explore it with you... we are willing to talk to the other side now - what a concept.

Then Joe Biden goes and quotes Seamus Heaney.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey, Faye.

Been reading a bit of your blog the last few days (got link from Marna).

Thought of you as I watched the entire inauguration for the first time ever. I was pretty moved, esp with Aretha singing. Thought the speech was right on the money--what the country needs to hear.

Am I the only person that thought of Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life" when Cheney came out in a wheelchair?