D.S. Brown Goes
To The
Inauguration

Chapter 1
January 5th

Yesterday, which was Sunday January 4^th, President-Elect Barack Obama’s plane landed at Andrew’s Air Force base.  The Air Force Boeing 757-200 airplane that carried him to the Capital was painted with the distinctive blue-and-white colors of Air Force One, even though it was not, and could not, be Air Force One.   There was some joking about the plane's designation.  Should it be called Air Force One-Elect? 

This was the first time the President-Elect had flown in one of the planes in the Air Force’s Special Air Mission fleet, one more step signifying his status as the nation’s next elected leader.   Chicago was behind him.  He said that leaving his hometown choked him up.  It choked me up as well.  Why?  I felt a tad bit emotional and most certainly excited because the business of Change was moving forward.

Events for the administration were in motion.  Even though the transition team had already been moving aggressively forward, just seeing this event on television, this flight of the President-Elect, was moving to me personally, just as the entire election had been an incredibly emotional event to me personally.

Today, on January 5^th, Barack Obama met with the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a controversial but most definitely important historical figure.  She is the nation’s first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives, a rather wealthy liberal, and a strong, opinionated, and so I’ve been made to understand, rather vindictive democrat.  In other words, just like many men she brings the heat to the issues she believes are of vital concern. 

I had not been thinking about the President at the time.  What was on my mind?  Well, I had just come home from work, I wouldn’t be writing this for several hours.  I kissed my wife and baby, and truly reveled in the joy of my family.  I sat down wearily and I started playing with my child, as my wife and I talked about our day. 

It had been a challenging day.  My wife had experienced much the same.   I think we followed the pattern of many Americans blessed with gainful employment.  It was our first day back after the holidays and there was much to do.  My wife, whose job I consider to be far more important than my own, talked about the kids coming back to school, and getting them ready for the semester’s activities.  She molds the minds of young people.  She happens to teach AP History, Politics, and other Social Studies.   Everything that was happening in our nation was relevant in her classroom, as it always is.  However, the level of student involvement was unusually high.  I thought this was a great change, most certainly amazing.  The kids were totally engaged. 

At my job, which is not about molding minds but still extremely critical to the well-being of my family, we were working on trying to ensure our production environments were stable.  By production environments, I mean the hardware and software that together comprise the environment in which our customers conduct their day-to-day business of running a global retail enterprise.  We had a few challenges my first day back.  We also had mounting concerns.  The 2008 Christmas season had not been great, as you all well know, and people at my job were worried, just like people all over the globe. 

My wife and I sat in the kitchen and talked about these things.  We had the idiot-box on, and it was turned to CNN.  That’s when the image came on.   There was President-Elect Barack Obama, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  By this time, my little sugar-poi (pie), which is one of many names we have for our child, was sitting in my lap, crying just a bit.  She was struggling to get back on schedule after the holidays.  Life can really be rough for an 18 month old.

“Look at that, boog!”  My wife exclaimed. 

“Look at that indeed,” I said.  “The MAN.”  

President-elect Obama was sitting behind a table.  Camera’s flashed, white light created a lightning-like flutter across our television screen.

“It gives me chills,” she said.  “I still ...”

I looked back at her, and a smile was slowly spreading across her face.  She slowly shook her had back and forth.  Admiration was there.  It was plain.  In her eyes, where tears were beginning to form, there was the promise of hope.  I smiled, feeling just the same.  There was a black man on the screen, a man that looked like me, my father, and my grandfather, and he was our new President.  Some people can’t, or won’t, understand my saying this.  They will glom onto my use of the word Black.  They will ask, why do you have to bring that up?  If they give me a moment, I will take the time to try and explain it to them.  If they have an ear to listen, I will relate some of which they should have learned in school, about the American ideal, the dream for all, and not just a select few, and why the realization of an Obama Presidency is the powerful culmination of generations of dreamers, thinkers, lovers, fighters, and slaves.  Through multiple layers of sincere honesty I reach for the words to explain, but I consistently feel I am falling short.  However, as I continue, I will truly strive for an honest attempt at explaining my feelings.