Inaguration Reflection (Written on 9/20/09)

January 20, 2009, the face of America has changed today. Waking up this morning felt like waking up to a new day, a new country, and a new world. The day started off with a media blitz with every possible media outlet covering the historic event in their own respective ways. Words could not describe the moments that followed after the introduction of President Obama; a surreal moment which I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I can’t stress enough how fortunate I am to be able to witness history not only as a person but as a journalist. It’s completely different watching the inauguration in a journalistic standpoint as I tend to be more critical on many aspects and examine things that aren’t usually looked at. This, all in all is great in the sense that I am able to get so much more out of the historic event then the norm. It was truly interesting watching different media outlets cover the occasion as they had unique ways of doing so. I, myself, primarily focused on CNN, who did an amazing job in covering the event as they had interactive tickers, schedules, and maps that allowed viewers to easily keep track of the myriad of events that ensued.
During the moments that President Obama was sworn in, shots of 1.5 million people standing on all corners of the Capitol in the frigid temperatures startled me. Just the size of this event is nothing short of shocking, as it was officially labeled as the largest gathering of viewers on television.
I truly feel proud to be an American at this point in my life; for once I can say that there is hope that this country will be alright, things will prosper, and renewal will be made. President Obama’s words seem to not only comfort me but people of America as well. He is a man of confidence, just what a country needs in the time of need. During the inauguration ceremony, President Obama’s ability to show how he’s just a common man won my respect in many ways. He was able to come out of his state of the art limo during the parade to wave and greet the millions of fans that had lined up along Pennsylvania Ave for hours if not days, showing that he was not afraid of any threats, showing one of the many truly excellent qualities our president possess.
Although not Obama’s most memorable speech, the president presented an excellent inaugural speech in a subtle tone giving confidence to the American people and thanking them for the efforts. His ability to put words together so fluently proves to be a brilliant characteristic that had helped him largely in being elected president. It will be interesting having a president that knows what he’s talking about.
Again, I can’t put into words how grateful I am to being to witness history in the making, watching the first African-American president being sworn in as president. It is such a relief to watch a wonderful first family walk into the White House, especially knowing that there is now a commander-in-chief by the name of Barack Obama sitting in the Oval office. I wish the President great success in the years to come and hope for the best. He truly deserves it, after accomplishing such a lifelong dream.