Guest Post - Baldy in a Battleground - Inaugural Edition

#44!

So, this not-so-baldy-anymore just returned from our nation’s capital for the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America. You may have heard by now – he’s black and his middle name is Hussein!

I’ve only been to DC once before, so I can’t speak with a great deal of authority on how it normally is there, but I can say that despite the influx of an estimated 2 million people and the additional security surrounding the anointing of The One (or That One, depending on whom you ask), the city was amazingly calm. It was full of people, yes, but for the most part everyone was polite and kind. Lines were orderly, waiting was almost pleasant, and the strangers you bumped into literally and figuratively felt like old friends. Every race, age, and class was represented, and we were all giddy.

If I were being perfectly honest, though, I'd have to admit that I couldn’t help but to feel that I was in the finals for American Idol. That whole “Hollywood” thing that he was accused of during the campaign didn’t seem so ridiculous as Usher and Stevie Wonder sang to the crowd gathered on the mall, while Denzel Washington watched on. There was something upsetting about the parade of famous black Americans, not because they are not beloved, but because Obama is something very different. He’s not a Grammy or an Oscar winner or even a star athlete; he’s not here to entertain us. He’s here to lead us through one of the most difficult times in our nation’s history.

So Obama felt like another celebrity in the celebrity parade. He has no control over this, of course, so the “Hollywood” accusations are unfounded in terms of what they mean about his own personal behavior. But it brought up an interesting question about what exactly the Office of the President means to Americans anymore. Of course we want somebody qualified, but are we equally concerned with them being someone who is entertaining and interesting, and good-looking, and friends with Oprah?

I found it difficult to reconcile the dialogue about him being our first African American President and the gravity of that moment in history and what it means about our country, against the dialogue about how hot he is and what Michelle is wearing and how amazing he is, and oh my god he’s just like us, but better and hotter and blacker. Not to mention the dialogue about how the fact that he’s black is the least amazing thing about him. His story, and how dissimilar it is to the stories of our past presidents in terms of class and background, is truly amazing.

Any doubts I had about the Office of the President having perhaps lost some of the respect it deserves were dashed at the actual inauguration when Bush came out. The crowd booed, which I personally found very disappointing. He knows we hate him. Booing him in that moment seemed extremely disrespectful to the Office he’s held all this time, and therefore disrespectful to the person about to be sworn into that same Office. Ask not what Obama can do for you; ask what you can do for Obama. I think the first thing we can do as a nation is show some goddamn respect for the job he’s just taken on.

Having said all of that, it was one of the most moving and memorable experiences of my life. Being there, feeling the excitement on the Metro, in every coffee shop, on every street corner, was incredible. Walking down the mall towards Lincoln Memorial on Sunday afternoon amidst throngs of people, the crowd was so thick that the frozen ground was giving up dust. As we froze our asses off and choked on dust, I looked around and wondered what if anything else in the world could have brought such a large and diverse group of people together. The answer is nothing and I’m in awe.

I was fortunate enough to have a ticket on Inauguration Day, but I think the best part was looking back away from the capitol building at the crowd of people who didn’t have tickets. I couldn’t see beyond them. It was a sea of people, the air thick with hope and cannabis. It was kind of great. Several people in my section turned their back when Rick Warren spoke, and that was great. Everyone had tears in their eyes, and that was great. The sun was shining, and that was great.

The crowd flipped off the Bushes as they departed by helicopter. I didn’t participate, but that was kind of great, too. I don’t support the action, but I know the feeling. We all do.

Thank sweet baby Jesus in heaven that we have a new president, a new start. White, black, poor, rich, well-bred, or not. I don’t care. Just make a difference. Change. Change. Change. We want change. Yes you can, President Obama. Yes you can.