inauguration

So today we elected the first black president into office. I have a semblance of a lump in my throat, it's overwhelming what this means to me and countless others. It makes an enormous statement to us as a nation and us as a nation to the world. They are saying a large, large percentage of the voters that made this happen were young voters, that the margins were raised and we got out there and changed the face of history. I say "we" like I still might fit into the younger generation. But I must stand on the roof and shout to the heavens I AM PROUD TO BE ALIVE TODAY! Breathe Aaron.
So where were you when it happened? I was sitting in the coffee shop in Vancouver Washington. "Java House" on Columbia, across from 209 Riverview. I was sitting enjoying a cup of hot coffee as it is sunny and chilly outside this morning. I want you to know the exact time too. It is 10:18 a.m. I am on a barstool by the window and I hear a cappuccino being foamed behind me. I started outside in the mall area with my coffee and was checking my Facebook. I saw that a friend of mine was watching a live feed on CNN of the inauguration. So I clicked the link. Never before in my life would I have thought a lousy buffer of a live feed would take my breath away. I saw a sea of people in the mall at Washington. All of them there to listen. I saw a live feed on the right hand side of my screen, my Facebook friends that were watching the feed were able to type in comments. Part of me was stunned at the magnitude of the event, the amount of people in D.C, the feeling that my friends were there with me...online.
Shortly after the feed started on my Macbook I found two guys wanting to share the feed. Perfect strangers walked over and chatted and watched the feed of the 44th President making a speech. Eventually I closed up the laptop and wandered inside the coffee shop and watched the little tv set up inside. There was a group of people doing the same. We watched in happy silence with two men muttering to each other.
Today January 20, 2009 is the day. I love that it will be taught to our children in their classrooms. I love that it's going to go in books. I love that the media is going to eat it up and feed and re-feed it to the public. Because we each have our own reasons for how great it is to be alive today. We each see why this means so much and opens so many doors for various reasons. Because he's black. Because America voted for him. Because a large voting margin was younger than usual. It means that many "minorities" will get more involved without limitations or pause. Remember what Rosa Parks did?
I was here. I saw it happen. I saw Barack Obama address a nation. My heart is happy and full of pride.