The Synergistic Pen

I intentionally waited 24 hours before posting this one... I needed time to reflect... and to consider the words heard by our new president AND the people I encountered along the way....

I've seen some wonderful things in my life. I've experienced some amazing happenings. I've witnessed some awesome situations...

This was better than all of that; indescribeably better. It was as if I was standing there with all of my ancestors; they were watching this event through my eyes, my heart, my spirit...

We were happy, excited, laughing with total strangers and playing with little children. We had conversations with Kenyans, Nigerian, British, Canadians, Australians, Germans, Brazilians, Swedes and people from almost every state in the union.

When the oath was taken, the place became silent. Eerily silent. And then we cheered. One, perfect cheer. We danced and hugged and cried.

When President Obama began his speech, it became silent again. If a blind person had stepped onto the mall, they would have never known anyone was there. I took pictures of people simply in awe, mentally analyzing every movement he made, watching his face, digesting his every word.

And then it was over. I hugged people whose name I never learned. I was kissed by people I'll never see again. I screamed with people that will go home new, different, changed.

There were not arguments, no fights, a few snags in the exit from the mall, more snags on the Metro, but we had FUN!!! It was worth it.

We spent a few minutes just sitting, in the cold, watching and listening to the people. The college students from Princeton climbed trees; people handed their cameras up to them so they could take pictures of the crowds. The fundamental religious groups shouted scripture from megafones to us, their captive audience. People commented on the First Amendment rights of those who shout through megafones and we asked them to be quiet. They stopped, for a few minutes. The park service policeman told me it was ok to lean on his car to rest my legs.

The group of school children from Alaska had on bright blue hats, the ones from California had on bright red. The large, extended family from Florida all had on green. I was interviewd by Cyberpress/Montreal and the BBC Radio Network (still looking for my words out there) We blew kisses at the National Guardsmen who wouldn't let us cross the street. My friend who was a volunteer at the parade called to tell me how much he hated cold weather.

I smiled at the text message from my son (I HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT MA!! WOO HOO) I dozed off in the booth at Burger King. We had a really meaningful conversation with a guy with a fabulous Jamaican accent who "worked for the government". We called 911 when an older gentleman tripped and fell on a loose grate on the sidewalk and hit his head.

The student council from the elementary school in Dallas all had on yellow and black and most of them fell asleep on the train. The young people on their way to the Youth Ball sitting behind us were dressed to the 9s. We cheered again as a woman in a ball gown came running down the escalator and stopped, pulled off her heels and raced to catch the train about to pull off (she made it) There were women in ball gowns and men in tuxes at our train stop. It was cold. It was amazing. I slept like a baby....

It had been a long time since I'd been to Washington. Its very different from the what I remember. Yet, somehow, its the same. Or is it? History was made this day, and I got to see it. I'll have a DVD of all the pictures taken by me and my "correspondents" in time for Black History Month... I hope...

Man I'm tired. Good.