Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

I don't need no four-day weekend

Back on November 5 or so, I thought I've never been to an inauguration. Maybe this time I'll go.

I live just outside of Washington. I was thinking I could hop on the Metro mid-morning (there is a station across the street from my office), go see the swearing in, catch the start of the parade and be back at my desk before anybody missed me.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the hell I was thinking, either. Obviously that naive plan went out the window by about November 6.

The first inauguration I remember is Jimmy Carter's. We were off school that day, but I sort of think it was the one-day semester break we always had late in January. I do remember watching the parade on tv.

After that...well, in 1985 I was offered a chance to be in a Girl Scout color guard for the parade, but I didn't have a full uniform. I can't recall if I declined because I didn't have time to get the uniform, or because the uniform was so hideous I didn't think marching in the inauguration parade made it worth wearing it. (Also, Reagan was no hero of mine, so that might have affected my decision.) It was so cold that winter that the outdoor parade was canceled anyway.

And that's about it. It's not like I'm politically indifferent, but until this year, inaugurations haven't really made lasting impressions on me. I like the orderly transfer of power, the bit of pomp and circumstance, but I guess the fact that we have one every four years has made me sort of blase about it, too. Wow, has it been four years already? I better leave early for the hockey game, traffic will be a mess.

Traffic this year is likely to be beyond a mess...I have actual concerns about getting to my office, which is 20, maybe 25 miles from the Capitol...but I think I'll be remembering this inauguration for more than the traffic.

Posted by Nic at January 17, 2009 10:32 AM | TrackBack