I feel your presence in my hometown. D.C. is full of ghosts, spirits, ancestors. 2+ million breathing and countless others from the past are witnesses. Patriotism has many definitions and Americans could final walk out of their closets to display its many forms.
Service: especially youth service, greets me early as these timid youth ask us to sign petitions ask Obama to help end the genocide in Dafur. No one turns them away. I want to hug them. I know actions like these can now be celebrated as heroic and as love of country. Service brings out the best of Americans as caring human beings.Flags: Traditional and altered - seen as the fabric of our national connection to one another today - not criminal, nor offensive.
Civility: The picture of true peace all day. No care of nation status. No care of rich or poor. No incidents of violence. Welcome to the neighborhood.
The Massachusetts couple who hugs all around our section - tears of joy - laughing and crying throughout the ceremony - our instant friends.
The women who sit next to us traveled, as far as we have, only to sit next to fellow Californians. A teacher from the Pruess school at UCSD and a group of friends from the Imperial Valley.
Even movie stars must mingle with the not so famous (see Halle Berry and Jamie Foxx). Many others are in our section too but the star of the day has finally arrived.
You are killing me! I love your photos and what you wrote so much.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of you and Camille in front of the capitol is AWESOME. You really need to put that up on the wall.