Day One

With loud speakers blasting John Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” in the background and sirens in the foreground, we stood at the gates of the White House as patrol cars and white SUVs drove up carrying George Herbert Walker and Barbara Bush.

The throng of Obama supporters was elated at their good luck and waved genially at the senior Bushes. My wife and I were stunned when Barbara Bush looked out and waved directly at our daughter Trinity.

As packed as the crowd was in front of the president’s home, it was refreshing to see the courtesy everyone showed as White House photos were being taken. Volunteers were offering to take photos and those attempting to navigate the multitude, would politely wait while the shot was taken…..

The atmosphere at the Vietnam and Korean Memorial was distinctly different from the Washington Monument and White House.We meet a squad of soldiers who had all done a tour in Iraq who said, even those who hadn’t voted for Obama were thrilled to be in D.C. for the event to “witness this moment in history.”

As we looked at a panel on the West wing of the Vietnam Memorial, several camouflaged men passed us and I said softly to the last soldier, “Thank you for your service.” He replied quietly, “Thank you for your support.”

Not long after, we spotted a couple of soldiers who graciously allowed us to take a photo with them, at the Vietnam Memorial statue, but since they immediately received similar requests from others, we did not get their names.

Particularly for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, Obamamania may be the catalyst to completely defeat this recession!

Vendors are everywhere offering every imaginable item: Tshirts, buttons, key rings, hats, scarves, calendars and posters for a start. Two women were charging a modest two dollars for people to use their own camera to have a photo taken with a cardboard cut-out of Obama and the Washington Monument in the background. They were raking in the cash.

After lunch we rode on a bicycle rickshaw pedaled by a man from Orlando. He and his two friends had loaded rickshaws into trucks and driven sixteen hours to pedal weary pedestrians around D.C. They had recouped their investment in one night! For these three men, 21st century Green Jobs have already proven profitable.

Inauguration Day

With the alarm set for 6 a.m. I woke at 5:52 and noticed that my wife was also lying awake. Anticipation of history serves as a better alarm clock than my cell phone.

Starbuck’s was packed, but people were pleasant and patient and the five person crew was moving like a well-oiled machine to attend to a line that was almost out the door…. It was 13 degrees at that point and I had just been phoned to also grab butter at 7-11 on the way back to the hotel; we were making pancakes. The pancakes were delicious, but the view of the mall on CNN made them hard to swallow.

Trinity saw the crowd on TV and began to panic, asking if we could leave soon so that we could get a good space.

So we bundled up and attached toe-warmers to socks, packed sandwiches, water and pumpkin bread, and we all headed to the restroom just one more time before we headed out. The crowds were lively, but not overwhelming on the streets. There were more vendors, which meant still more items—handwarmers, bookmarks, Obama earrings and certificates declaring “I was there!”

As we approached the mall we saw a fairly large crowd around a Jumbotron just east of the Washington Monument. Were we so late that we’d have to be this far back, we thought. Trinity would not allow it: “Can we please get closer?”

I complied, as any wrapped-around-the-finger-dad would.

We snapped photos as we passed interesting folks, including Ranger Knowles with the Park Service and two elderly women in fur coats, one of whom was celebrating a birthday. The younger children and seniors added a sense of scope to the event and volunteers were ready to assist.

This distinguished older man who we met on the National Mall was wearing flags as a crown. He said, “I’ve never been more proud to wear the flag.” I agreed and said, ‘just think, today this flag is being waved around the world, and it’s not on fire!’

We worked past two more jumbo screens, passing the Smithsonian and the CNN, ABC and Univision news buses, until we could move no further forward or center.

Cheers went up as the live feed showed Mohammed Ali, Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Al Gore. With each sighting of a popular figure, countless flags would wave frantically like first graders who think they might know an answer.

Once we could see Barack flanked by Congressional bodyguards Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein, the crowd erupted in even louder cheers.

The moment was so close I began to tingle. I hoisted Trinity into my arms and stood by Renée.

The crowd’s first eruption was only topped by the mania that ensued after he stated: “So help me God!”

Once we had seen him sworn in, I put Trinity down on the ground and the crowd went to church with him as he delivered his speech. Every truth about the difficulties we faced, the work we all need to do, and the challenges we could overcome received applause, “All right now” and “Amen.”

With the close of his speech came more applause and then the exodus of the crowd….

Billingslea is the head of the Theater and Dance Department of Santa Clara University.

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