I Didn't Even Need To Wear A Coat!

As you've seen in my previous posts, I was really worried about how to attend the inauguration virtually. I was jealous of those who actually got to just hop a bus and go there, not so much for the excitement of being there, but for the opportunity to be with others who were also excited.

Had I been at home, I probably would have felt very alone.

Had I been at work, I would have missed the whole thing.

Had I gone to a very public place, I would have been alone in a crowd, feeling included but also alone.

No, I needed to be with real friends or with someone whose heart I could read a little bit.

So here I was in Wimberly, TX, visiting my grandmother. It's an intensely conservative place, and much of my family would have nothing to do with the inauguration. To further complicate this emotionally, my grandfather passed away a year ago, and he really would not have liked to see Obama become president.

But on Tuesday, the only people in the house were me, ND and my grandmother.

My grandmother probably has the softest heart of anyone I've ever met. She has such a real and sincere desire to love others and to have hope for the world. So she never wanted to disagree with her husband's politics publicly. At the same time, she is open to listening to someone who is inspiring and kind and can potentially be a brilliant and compassionate leader.

And... she loves me.

So when I told her I wanted to watch the inauguration, she said she wanted to watch it with me.

Now, before she and I sat down together, I got on the Facebook CNN feed and began to watch that way. I absolutely loved it. I could watch so many different things as I pleased -- either CNN's usual way of covering... talking about nothing and showing us stuff -- or just follow the Obamas everywhere they went. I left it on with the camera staring at the church where they were praying for a good half hour as I came and went from the room. Meanwhile, I could see all the people logging on to watch and leaving their brief comments. Total strangers from all over the world watching the same thing on their computers, but with less anonymity than us being in private homes. The funniest comment was when someone wrote he or she was going to "wash that president right out of my hair." I was alone and comfortable, but able to peek into other's minds.

Eventually the internet connection died, but by then we watched on the TV together. And my parents, who were also here for this visit eventually came to join us. (They were staying at my uncle's house.)

I don't have anything to say here about Obama right now. Instead I just loved to be part of our country at that moment... part of a movement... part of a feeling... connected to millions and millions of others.

That's all I wanted. And a hopeful leader and some new technology made it possible.