That's about the only way I can describe today's events: Simply Moving.
There was no way that I was going to miss it. Sure, some of it was simply looking forward to the end of the eight years of the Bush administration. We all know people that were counting down the minutes once Obama won the election.
But it was about far more than that. This was a day for the ages. Put aside the cliches - it truly was a historic moment. Within it, there were many shades of bygone eras. There was the uplifting singing of Aretha Franklin, and the elegant John Williams composition performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill. Pure emotion through music - at it's finest. And simply watching Yo-Yo Ma, playing and smiling all the while, was a sight and sound to behold.
Then, the moment we'd all waited for ... the swearing-in of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama. There was a little stumble on the oath of office - the political prognosticators on TV were reporting that Chief Justice John Roberts had in fact jumbled the order of the wording (funny how Obama had not voted for him - coincidence?) - but that was the only slight to the day.
When we look back in time at Obama's rise to the Presidency, I have no doubt we will remember his tremendous oratory skills. Today's inaugural address was no different. The focus wasn't on him - it was placed squarely on the citizens of the United States. It was placed on renewing our place in the global village. And, better yet, it was focused on a reminder to all of us - that this country has the roots of greatness firmly entrenched in the Constitution and in the hard work and inventive nature of our citizens, in good times and in bad.
Reverend Joseph Lowery's benediction was another work of art.
Many pundits have called it "reverse racism". But if you delve deeper into the phraseology, into the history of the words, you realize that it was far from this. Lowery spoke of love and unity. His light-hearted reference to "black, get back ... brown, stick around ..." has it's origins in music. Examine bluesman Big Bill Broonzy's work from the '30s, and you will see the basis for this. And if you go to the music of the '60s, you'll find this phrase (though for the life of me, I can't remember exactly what performer or song, though my mind keeps going back to James Brown). Ah, the era of ... MLK.
Lowery walked at the side of King. I think he can be afforded the opportunity to comment on what he's seen, especially when the common thread is equality.
I admit, I couldn't help but think of Martin Luther King ... and Rosa Parks ... and so many others that put the civil rights movement front-and-center. Admittedly, I am not sure that I truly believed that I would witness today's events in my lifetime. I've never seen any reason for it not to happen in this country - as I fully believe in equality and the Constitution - but I know that the roots of racism and segregation run deep and wide. And racism in this country is something that we, for some reason, seem to have had great difficulty in accepting.
As always, there are plenty of naysayers out there that think that he will fail. Does he have enough experience? Does he have the ability to get the job done? The expectations are high, and he's been left with one hell of a mess - both in foreign policy and in domestic policy.
But frankly, it makes me sick to hear people call him the "anti-christ" and a "dictator" and so many other idiotic diatribes. Put aside the Republican vs Democrat mentality. This transcends all of that petty crap. This is truly about equality, about opportunity, about freedom, about the spirit of the people of this great country - in the deepest meaning of those terms.
It was a moment to remember. It was a refreshing, momentous time in history. It was a call to arms to roll up our sleeves and dig in to the hard work that is ahead. It was something that I will look back upon and say with great fondness, "I remember that day like it was yesterday". It is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It was all simply moving.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.