Four years ago, my daughter and I traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the Inauguration Day Ceremony to watch Barack Hussein Obama be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. I originally planned like most Americans to watch the ceremony on television but a business school friend was so pumped and wanted to go that she was going to actually fly out from California to go. Needless to say, her enthusiasm won me over.
And although my daughter was only five years old, I decided to go for a multitude of reasons.
A Witness to History – I never in my lifetime thought I would see a black man elected President and in fact did not think Barack Obama would win so that this happened in my lifetime and in my daughter’s was not to be missed. She will always remember that she was there on the Mall in Washington with millions of people witnessing a piece of history.
That Education Matters – Sadly, children and many adults seem to worship people who barely got out of high school and it makes me nuts. Barack Obama is a testament and actual role model that yes, you should go to school, study, do well and while you may not become President the possibilities are endless where a good education will lead.
Enduring Hardship to Achieve a Goal – Like today’s 57th Inauguration Swearing Ceremony, the last one took place on a bitter cold day. In order for us to get a relatively good place to witness history, we actually had to leave our house at 4am, avoid being stampeded by hundreds jostling to get onto The Mall and then stand around in thirty degree temperature for hours. Just imagine how miserable us adults were but a five year old. My daughter was so miserable but she barely complained except when her toes started to get numb and we had to get her to the warming tents. No one turns a child away from the warming tents. Plus hilariously she refused to use the port a potty because of the smell. I have no idea how she held it in for so long.
So as unlikely as President Obama being elected a second term seemed months ago, I will not be attending the 57th Inauguration Day ceremony because, it’s the old cliche phrase, “Been There, Done That.”
This time, I will wait with some odd sense of style watching as to who FLOTUS will elevate to Fashion superstardom with her inaugural day outfit.
