American Royalty

At last, America has royalty again.

I watched the inauguration today with absolute fascination. I'm trying not to become an Obama worshipper (as opposed to a simple Obama supporter), but frankly I can't help myself. I am finding myself being pulled into the eddy of the Obama mystique. What is it exactly? Is it the history making event of the first African-American president? Is it the interplay of working class values, progressive idealism, and honest academic credentials? Is it the subtle balance of his cool demeanor with his boundless energy? Is it his focus on intellectualism and science? Is it the stunning beauty and keen intellect of the Obama women?

Incidentally, I am waiting to see which of the Obamas becomes one of People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People. My money is on Sasha and Malia sharing a spot.
But to quote the movie Airplane!, "That's not important right now."

How about that inauguration ceremony?

First and foremost, Obama's speech was excellent. It was dire and foreboding, yet still hopeful and empowering. It was everything we wanted to and NEEDED to hear. I think it could be paraphrased thusly:

Thank you. Now we have a lot of work ahead of us because we are up a creek without a paddle. And this situation is not accidental. We got here because nobody stopped the actions of a few greedy, rich elitists. But don't worry. I am going to undo every stupid thing that the Bush administration did. You don't believe me? Watch my dust. And I'll need your help.

Or something like that.

There was a lot to like about the rest of the ceremony. Aretha Franklin proved she is still the Queen of Soul even when singing such patriotic ditties as, "My Country Tis of Thee." And I still have goosebumps from hearing Yitzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, and Anthony McGill (the winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant) play a beautiful arrangement of Simple Gifts by John Williams. It was as if the inauguration planners started one-upping each other just to see if anyone would rein them in.

"I think we should get Yitzhak Perlman to play. He's good right?"
"OK, if you get Yitzhak Perlman, than I want Yo Yo Ma."
"Cool! How about we also get Anthony McGill? He's good too."
"Yeah! Yeah! McGill...didn't he win some big award? And then they should play something by...uh...Mozart?"
"Naa. Not big enough."
"Uh, Bach? Copeland?"
"No, not contemporary enough. C'mon think big."
"John Williams?"
"Yeah! John Williams! And then we'll get Aretha Franklin to sing something patriotic! Cool!"

Etc., etc., etc.

I liked Rev. Joseph Lowery's benediction, although I did a doubletake when he started to get all 70's on us at the end. When he said, "If you're yellow, be mellow," one of my coworkers, who was born in China, starting singing, "They call me Mellow Yellow."

The only low point to me was Rick Warren's invocation. It could have been a good invocation with an important message on religious and ethnic diversity, but it is cosmically impossible to get an evangelical preacher to give an ecumenical speech without mentioning Jesus. And to think that the central theme of his invocation was inclusivity and tolerance. I love good irony.

I wonder if it was coincidental that the scriptural verse Rick Warren picked to start the invocation was the Sh'ma, the most important Jewish affirmation in the liturgy. ("Here, Oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.") I can only hope so. It earns him back some points.

But other than that, the ceremony was flawless...or as close to flawless as an inauguration will ever get.

If y'all will excuse me, I need to go sit down and fan myself.

Who Were You When?

I never got around to posting a blog last November after the general election. You would think that I would have something to say, anything...but frankly, there was just TOO much to say. I was thinking of simply writing "YAHOOO!" and leaving it at that, but even that seemed too trite.

And then, while I was thinking of pithy comments for my blog, everyone seemed to beat me to the punch. Everyone else commented on how this was a historic occasion, that we never thought we'd see the day, that hope had been restored to our country, that the rule of the conservatives was over, etc., etc., etc.

I thought about writing, "Ditto!" but I think someone else wrote that as well.

And then everyone started talking about where they were when they heard the news. People of all races and genders were out in Harlem and Chicago and many other cities braving the cold to rally support for Obama. Some people were asleep at home, and didn't find out the news until the next morning. Some were sitting shiva, some were shouting "Baruch hashem!". It was a wild night by any accounts.

Shirah and I started whooping it up early in the evening when the Vigo County election returns were reported. As many of you may have heard, Vigo County has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1960, and it has voted closer to the national margin than any other county. So, we didn't need to wait for John Stewart to call the election. We KNEW that we had won. Way to go, Terre Haute, Indiana!

You don't hear THAT very often. (Forgive me, Shirah.)

What I have not heard much discussion on is the following question: WHO were you when you heard the election results? Frankly, this is a much more telling question. Were you a black woman in her mid 70s who never, ever, ever thought she would see this day in her lifetime? Were you a young high school student (of any race or ethnicity) who just couldn't see why Obama's race should have anything to do with his qualifications? Were you a member of the academic elite who saw Obama as a return to reason and intelligence in this country (finally, finally, finally)? Or were you a member of the affluent elite who saw Obama as a threat to your hard saved, hard earned, or more likely, hard inherited dollar?

Were you a staunch ultra-right conservative who saw Obama as the beginning of the end, the fall of morality as we know it? Or were you a staunch ultra-left liberal who saw Obama as the end of the beginning, marking a return to morality in our country?

Who were you?

I welcome your comments, good, bad, or ugly.

Chag Sameach!

A belated Chanukah Sameach. And a Happy Gregorian New Year.