Inauguration Day!

Inauguration day has come and gone, and what an emotional and moving day it was. To see that great swarm of people--estimates I've heard say about 2 million, possibly more--full of joy and jubulation over seeing history being made, and all of us watching from work or home, sharing in the hope that this will be the beginning of a brighter day for us all.

I heard on CNN that not one arrest took place. How many times can you get 2 million people together in the freezing cold, standing and sitting for hours, and not have someone get a little out of hand. What a great testament to everyone involved. And I hope that this will encourage more people to visit our capital and take advantage of all the great things it has to offer.

I thought Obama's speech was good; people were grousing a bit that he wasn't specific about plans and what our responsibilities as citizens will be. But I thought it was plain speaking, pragmatic, and set the scene for future speeches and plans that will spell out specifics.

Of course, I was wrong about the dress color, which I predicted would be subdued and blue (Malia actually wore blue). Michelle's dress was nice and appropriate for the weather, and she was very brave going sans winter coat. But the teal colored shoes and greenish-yellow gloves were a bit of a head scratcher for me.

The Inauguration gown I liked more. It was pretty and feminine and reminded me of the Grecian gowns Jackie Kennedy favored. When I first saw the dress, I thought it might have been made by Carolina Herrerra. She designed Caroline Kennedy's wedding gown, which had very similiar applique work. But it's actually Jason Wu, a 26-year old designer. What a coup for him to have his design chosen.

While many of us watched the ceremonies and celebrations today, I know one lady that did not. Her name is Dee, and she is coordinator at the Food Pantry on 36th Street in Lawrenceville. Her days have been busier lately, she told me, because more people are out of work and it's getting harder for everyone to make ends meet. During the speeches and the swearing ins, she was at her job as usual, quietly passing out food, encouraging everyone to take a sack of potatoes, and some fresh green beans, too, along with the bulging bags of groceries already assembled for patrons.

Dee is one of those unsung heroes from my neighborhood, laboring with quiet dignity to try to make people's lives a little bit easier (myself included). My wish is that come next Inauguration Day, Dee will be working somewhere else, because by then the need for food pantries will have all but vanished. An unrealistic wish, I know, but wouldn't that be great?