Obama Live!

Thanks to the connections of my friend Steve I was granted the privledge of a silver ticket for the swearing in ceremony earlier today. I left Steve's house on Capitol Hill about 8a and headed to the Potomac Avenue metro stop. The first train that came by was full, but there was still room to squeeze a few people on. On a normal day it would've been a seven minute ride, but today it took about 35 minutes. The problem was getting people out of the stations. We rode through Capitol South and Federal Center SW without opening the doors, which was a good thing. It was a bit frightening to see all the people on the platforms, but clearly they had crowd control, under control.

All the time on the train, people were happy and friendly. Asking questions about each other, their friends, their plans, where they came from. There were only two Washingtonians near me. I spoke to folks from Colorado, New York, Kentucky and Alabama.

At L'Enfant Plaza everyone got out. While it was a mob scene, it was also a calm and happy gathering. As we were working our way up and out, somewhere a whoop would start and it would roll through the entire station, it was an amazing feeling.

Once I was outside, I started working my way to the security check point. There was a bit of confusion, but after awhile the crowds parted and I got into the lower area of the section. I immediately queued to get to the front section. All in all it took about 2 hours and 15 minutes, but I was able to be about 5 people back from the road that separates the reflecting pond area and the lawn of the Capitol, center stage. So, while the people were small, I could see them live.

With about 90 minutes to wait, all of us got to knowing our neighbors. My nearest neighbor was the student body president from Rochester Institute of Technology who had flown in the night before and was heading out tonight for classes tomorrow. There was one guy near me from DC, everyone else was from somewhere else...Ohio, New York and Minnesota. Periodically the crowd would break into cheers of "Obama" or "Yes We Can".

Finally things got underway. Ted Kennedy got a big cheer, as did Jimmy Carter. Bush senior got booed, as did Lynne Cheney and Laura Bush. When "W" came out the crowd broke into a chant of..."na, na, na, na, hey, hey, goodbye"...not booing, just chanting, over and over again. It was incredibly cathartic. When Obama came out we just chanted "Obama" again and again. It was great.

Aretha Franklin sang and then there was the John Williams piece, which I heard from people who watched on TV was amazing, but it was a little lost in the wide open space of the mall.

After he took the oath we started chanting "Yes we did"! And then the million plus people fell silent as Obama made his speech, which I thought was incredibly inspiring. The crowd was jubiliant with excitement and the relief of the end of the Bush era.

On my walk back to where I'm staying the people on the street were just so happy. Strangers were smiling and greeting each other on the street like we all lived in a small town. I was particularly struck by a group of old men and women gathered on a street corner. They had a TV and a barrel fire going and had been watching the moment. These people, who probably had very little to be happy about by traditional measures, were emanating the most energetic joy.

And now, the change begins with great hope.

The Custer Story

I just finished reading The Custer Story: The Life and Letters of General George A. Custer and His Wife Elizabeth. What a surprise.

I was surprised, as I know my friends were, to find myself reading a book about General Custer. But, having visited the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn, it was just one of those things I was curious about.

It also was surprising to learn that Custer was a very important figure in the U.S. Civil War. Like many people, I had really only known of him by his death at the Battle of Little Big Horn and had always associated him with the westward expansion and exploitation of the American Indian embodied in Manifest Destiny. It turns out his time, and death, in the West amounted to a minor moment at the end of his life that like many "heroes" catapults them into history.

Two things made the book particularly interesting to read. First, as evidenced by the title, the book uses personal correspondence - primarily between Custer and his wife - as the foundation for the story. Secondly, these letters give excellent insight into exactly what life was like in those days and times just before, during and after the Civil War.

If you're more a sociological buff, than a history buff, I recommend this as a good read. It's better than a trip to Colonial Williamsburg!

General Dann and Mara's Daughter

The Story of General Dann and Mara's Daughter, Griot and The Snow Dog, was a great fun read over the holidays. The sequel to Mara and Dann: An Adventure, by Doris Lessing, which I read a while ago, it was a quick and easy read.

For me the best part was returning to the memories of the first book, which is an amazing walkabout story, set in a futuristic science fiction earth that is so real you can't help but see parts of it sometimes.

The story of both books have that amazing staying power of a Lessing novel. Part adventure, part science fiction, part chick-lit, part horror it all adds up to moving story that leaves you thinking about life, the planet, the universe and everything - to paraphrase another British author.

Rothko and Meireles

After a few days to let my head clear a bit from the Francis Bacon exhibit I headed over to the Tate Modern for two exhibits that were about to close, Cildo Meireles and Rothko - The Late Series.

Other than knowing that Meireles was Brazilian from the promotional information from the Tate, I knew nothing about his work or his motivation. As I explored the exhibition I was fascinated to learn that his motivation was Brazilian political oppression. To me, his works were so much fun. They freed my mind. They inspired my imagination to run wild, creating games in my head for bouncing balls and mazes with mirrors and fish. Not that I found the works to be frivilous, quite the contrary. Their complexity and depth enlivened the imagination with multiple, often simultaneous interpretations.

The highlight of the exhibit was the last room. After standing in a queue for almost 30 minutes I entered an antechamber where I took off my shoes and socks and rolled up my jeans. I then entered two linked rooms. The only light was from a taper burning in the other room. The entire floor was deep with talcum powder about halfway up my calves. It was incredibly beautiful and fun to watch how others reacted. I found it very peaceful and it focused me inward, while others in the room were playful and one woman was clearly frigthened. And, as a bonus, my feet were really soft for two days. If you ever have a chance to see a Cildo Meireles exhibition, go!

After the Meireles, seeing the Rothko exhibition was a sombre cathedral-like experience. The paintings didn't make noise (much of Meireles work had sound, or made sound as you interacted with it), the people weren't playfully interacting, they were staring. I even saw one man who was clearly meditating. I have a real love for Rothkos works, especially the later ones. This was a great opportunity to see my favorites from the Tate and Washington's National Gallery of Art as well as works I've never seen from Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art in Chiba, Japan and other museums. It was such a beautiful experience, I went again on another day.