January 20th

January 20, 2001.  I was a month post-op on a Big Deal back surgery and therefore was at home recuperating in a fiberglass brace and flannel pajamas.  For the first time…by age, opportunity, and interest…I watched the Presidential Inauguration.  In real time, to the last dance.  The arrivals, the departures, the speeches, the pomp, the circumstance.  All of it.

That back surgery turned into a career-ending adventure, so I have made it a personal tradition to take advantage of my unemployment status to watch every Presidential Inauguration since.  Today was no different, except in the many ways today’s Inauguration was utterly and completely different than any other (facial masks, thousands of National Guard troops surrounding the Mall, flags standing in for people, Lady Gaga). 

My TV viewing started this morning at about 5:10am Pacific Time, thanks to a noisy cat and a body’s totally haywire thermostat (thanks, midlife).   My pre-dawn commencement meant I was able to watch the entirety of President Trump’s tradition-breaking departure from Washington DC in the wee hours while he was still President.

Some memories over the years:

• In 2001, I remember watching President Clinton spend what seemed to be hours chatting up folks in the hanger as Marine One waited to fly him into retirement.  He didn’t seem to want to leave his post.  The TV folks eventually had to go to split screen coverage so that they could also check in on what the new President Bush was up to.

• In 2009, I remember seeing Laura Bush enter the Capitol’s outdoor platform prior to the inauguration of President Obama.  It was one of her final duties as First Lady.  A camera was on her and a microphone was just close enough to pick up her warmly saying, “Hi y’all!” as she smiled and waved to friends.  I hadn’t paid much attention to Mrs. Bush while her husband served in the White House.  Suddenly I wanted to be her pal.

• In 2009, I remember watching President Obama sitting nervously behind the huge wooden desk in the President’s Room just an hour or so after being sworn in.  He had a stack of leather portfolios in front of him, along with a velvety box of hefty pens.  A tradition started by President Reagan, the task was to sign a variety of proclamations and nominations, each with a new pen presumably given to key staff as souvenirs.  I watched as the weight of President Obama’s new job suddenly hit him as he did his World Leaderly best to ask for direction about why all the pens and what to do with the leather folders when he was done.

• In 2017, I remember watching President Trump walk down the steps of the Capitol to send off the Obamas, with the elegant new First Lady trailing behind.

• Today, I think I will always remember seeing Air Force One carrying just-barely-still-President Trump leave for Florida to the strains of Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way.”  Frank belted out the final words over the loudspeakers at Andrews Air Base just as the Presidential jet was airborne.  The precision was astounding.

• Today, I also think I will remember President Biden staring into my living room and declaring with passion: “My whole soul is in this.” I will also remember the federal employee who was quick with his stack of sanitizing wipes de-COVIDing the podium after each speaker.   Because democracy and safety march on despite insurrections and pandemics.  Thank God.