By: Pye Young

 

They came by car, bus train, and plane. They came from all over America and from all over the world. They came with pride, amazement, and admiration. On January 20th, 2009 over two million people braved the fierce twenty something degree cold to witness a milestone in America's history- The Presidential Inauguration of Barack H. Obama.

I was fortunate enough to be one of those people determined to witness history on that day. I along with my mother and best friend traveled on a chartered bus trip from Tampa, Florida to Washington, D.C. While on the bus, you could see the excitement in the faces of the passengers. Some of these passengers were senior citizens of the African Americans community who never thought they would live to see an African American man become the President of the United States of America. Some the passengers were children who, even at their young age, identified with and supported President Obama.
Our group arrived in Washington D.C. at five thirty in the morning. As we exited the metro station, we were flanked by hundreds and hundreds of people, briskly walking toward the mall area of the capitol. When we finally arrived at the capitol, we saw more people- some whom had camped out since midnight in order to get a good view. We steadied ourselves in front of one of the many "jumbo-trons" located throughout the mall area so that we could see the ceremony. As the sun rose that morning, all we could see were people continuously flooding into the mall area by the hundreds!

As the time for the ceremony drew near, we made "friends" with the people who were around us: people from Canada, Miami, Hawaii, and the Bahamas. We danced to the music of the pre-inauguration concert to keep warm. We laughed when shared our experiences and journey to get to this day. We took pictures with out newfound "friends" as keepsakes of this day and this moment. We chanted "Yes we can!" while we waited for the ceremony to begin. And, as the 44th president of the United States of America took his official oath, we cried and hugged each other in celebration!

Upon my return to Florida, everyone asked, "How was your trip?" My initial response was "Cold and crowded!" But it was much more than that. It was an opportunity to witness, first hand, one the most significant moments in American history. It was an experience you share with your children, grandchildren, family, friends, and strangers. It was an experience that I will never forget.