Oh my. I’m still processing my thoughts about yesterday (1/20) and today (1/21). You too? Here is some of what’s on my mind:
-I woke up yesterday feeling hopeful, but also very worried. I wondered if there would be last-minute drama from Trump, or more violence from Republicans.
-In the morning, I heard the Star-Spangled Banner playing on a French radio station and started weeping. It felt like the whole world was celebrating.
-I wrote a quick Instagram post about wearing Converse for Kamala and the comments are pure delight — so many fun and thoughtful celebrations. So many Pearls and Chucks!
-In the afternoon, I stopped at the Tall House to check in. The bells at the church across from the Tall House started ringing, just as I read the news that Trump had left the White House. I knew the bells weren’t related to him leaving, but it felt like they were. I started feeling even more hopeful at that point.
-I watched the Inauguration with my family. We made rice crispie treats and topped them with sparklers shaped into 4 and 6.
-Seeing Kamala Harris being sworn in by Sonia Sotomayor (and her awesome Bronx accent!) was so moving to me. Right before Kamala Harris took her oath, you can see her put her shoulders back and lift her head and I loved it so much. It was so familiar to me. I know that stance well.
-Amanda Gorman!! Like everyone else who watched, I was blown away. I had no idea how much I needed to hear her poem.
-I loved hearing Lady Gaga sing the national anthem. I loved JLo’s This Land Is Your Land (and she said part of the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish!). I haven’t felt that much patriotism in a long time.
-I really enjoyed Biden’s speech. I could feel his sincerity and compassion. He painted a beautiful portrait of what America could be and I think he inspired a lot of people. I especially appreciated the calls to unite against white supremacy. As I’ve written before, the calls for unity (from anyone across the political spectrum) often hit me the wrong way. Though unity is a very worthy goal (maybe the only worthy goal!), talking about it or yearning for it isn’t enough.
Pretend we made a map and marked it and said: we are here, and unity is over there across the page. Well, the only path between where we are and unity is accountability. There is no other path to unity. Saying we love each other isn’t enough. If we want to truly love our fellow human beings, we need to be accountable for our own actions, and insist on accountability from others. So I wish every call for unity was accompanied by a clear acknowledgement that accountability is the way to unity.
-This morning, I watched the Celebrating America show, hosted by Tom Hanks. I was blown away at the production quality. It was just masterfully put together. I liked it so much more than seeing glimpses of the typical Inauguration Day Balls and Parties. I hope they’ll do a program like that every year. It just felt so much more inclusive than a typical Inauguration Day.
-The fireworks made me cry. The flags on the National Mall made me cry. The 400 Covid-19 Memorial Lights around the Reflection Pool made me cry. Katy Perry’s awesome outfit made me cry. I was an emotional mess.
-Today (Thursday), when we ran errands, every one we chatted with wanted to talk about how relieved they were that Trump was gone. They had watched Inauguration Day as closely as we had. Ben Blair had a call with a contact in Hungary who has parents in Venezuela, and said the whole family was celebrating. My DMs on Instagram were full of messages from people around the world who were watching the inauguration. It really feels like the whole world was giving a sigh of relief. All of that brought me to tears too.
-I continue to be incredibly relieved that the Inauguration Ceremony happened without violence.
-I marveled to see how much relief I felt after one day. The Muslim-ban is over! We’re back in the Paris Accords! DACA is strengthened! Seventeen actions signed on the first day.
-During my lunch break, I posted a collection of Inauguration-related tweets I’d saved, on my Instagram Stories. I think they do a good job of capturing my thoughts and my range of emotions — the relief, the poetry appreciation, the desire for both accountability and unity, the love for gorgeous coats! The 5th tweet in the series (about a blaring sound system) seems to be resonating for people the most. I hope you’ll take a look:
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Your turn. How are you feeling? Were you able to watch the Inauguration? Or the Celebration Show? Were you wowed by the jewel-toned fashion? Any favorite parts that stood out to you? Any thoughts or reactions? How are you feeling today?
