The Inauguration

At 12:04 pm on Inauguration day, the eloquence of Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams faded into the background. The hours spent standing in the bitter cold were all for this one moment. As Barack Obama lifted his hand, the crowd cheered. Following the cheers and the twenty-one-gun salute, President Obama began addressing the nation for the first time as President. Eloquently worded, the Inaugural address of President Obama set the tone for his first weeks as Presidency. He reminded us of the challenges in front of us, that our perseverance is being tested once again, and that responsibility had returned to Washington. As the speech ended, the crowd left feeling sober yet hopeful that we had placed our trust correctly.
Despite these feelings, I thought the whole Inauguration was disconnected from reality. Though I was awed to personally watch the peaceful transfer of power, the festivities that surrounded the whole inauguration seemed odd given the current state of the nation. The events were too glamorous for such a time, and I believe that President Obama recognized this, given the sobering tone of his speech. While I do understand the tradition surrounding the Inauguration, I would have expected a little bit more modesty given the circumstances.