President Obama / Cousin Emily in the Inaugural Parade
President Obama. Let that sink in for a moment. Say it out loud once or twice. President. Obama. While you say that, also put together the words former, president, and Bush.
Yesterday, America swore in our 44th president. At noon, Bush was given the boot and quickly, thankfully, left Washington to better men. Maybe that's me editorializing, but a great many people feel ready to have better leadership. Fresh leadership. Smart leadership. The kind of leadership we don't have to apologize to our foreign friends about. That inspiring kind of guidance and control that reminds me of leaders I wish I were alive to have seen in action like Martin Luther King Jr. or the Kennedys. Does anyone else feel excited and humbled that Obama is that kind of leader but in our time?
I watched everything I could yesterday. I saw him sworn in and I saw pictures of the amazing crowds. One million, four hundred thousand people or more, they say. The world watched along with me. Every once in a while, I'd look outside my window at the blue sky and somehow everything seemed different all the sudden. There was this sense of newness. It was like that moment just before you're told a secret or are shown a surprise. You know something good is coming and that things will never be the same.
After the inauguration, there was a parade in Washington D.C. A week or so ago, we found out that my cousin from Alabama, Emily, was going to be a part of the parade. Getting to see her walk past and wave to President Obama as he waved back is a pretty special moment for our family. She was part of a group called the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids, a group of several dozen high school seniors picked year after year to be ambassadors of sorts for special events in Mobile. They continue a long-standing tradition in Alabama and it was a great honor for Emily to have been picked from strong competition at her school. Even more incredible, she's picked at a time when they're chosen to be in Obama's Inaugural Parade. Here's a photo of the troop with Emily highlighted:
Maybe soon I'll get a real photo of her in her peach dress, but that's not bad for now. Quite an amazing day!
Yesterday, America swore in our 44th president. At noon, Bush was given the boot and quickly, thankfully, left Washington to better men. Maybe that's me editorializing, but a great many people feel ready to have better leadership. Fresh leadership. Smart leadership. The kind of leadership we don't have to apologize to our foreign friends about. That inspiring kind of guidance and control that reminds me of leaders I wish I were alive to have seen in action like Martin Luther King Jr. or the Kennedys. Does anyone else feel excited and humbled that Obama is that kind of leader but in our time?
I watched everything I could yesterday. I saw him sworn in and I saw pictures of the amazing crowds. One million, four hundred thousand people or more, they say. The world watched along with me. Every once in a while, I'd look outside my window at the blue sky and somehow everything seemed different all the sudden. There was this sense of newness. It was like that moment just before you're told a secret or are shown a surprise. You know something good is coming and that things will never be the same.
After the inauguration, there was a parade in Washington D.C. A week or so ago, we found out that my cousin from Alabama, Emily, was going to be a part of the parade. Getting to see her walk past and wave to President Obama as he waved back is a pretty special moment for our family. She was part of a group called the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids, a group of several dozen high school seniors picked year after year to be ambassadors of sorts for special events in Mobile. They continue a long-standing tradition in Alabama and it was a great honor for Emily to have been picked from strong competition at her school. Even more incredible, she's picked at a time when they're chosen to be in Obama's Inaugural Parade. Here's a photo of the troop with Emily highlighted:
Maybe soon I'll get a real photo of her in her peach dress, but that's not bad for now. Quite an amazing day!