I am typically disinterested in politics. Yet, along with millions, not just in America but worldwide, I was eager to witness Barack Obama's swearing in. I did not have access to a television, so I tuned in the "old fashioned" way: via radio (NPR specifically).
While I wasn't able to see the throngs of people gathered in Washington that day (at least until later that day when I watched footage on the news, and on our DVR), I feel as though I was able to experience President Obama's inauguration in a way that is highly underrated and has been lost in such an age of advanced technology.
I leaned in with the utmost amounts of interest, holding onto every adjective that the reporters gave. I loved hearing them describe what the First Family was wearing and what the faces of the crowd looked like. I loved the tinny little sound, the little breaks of static, that accompanied the radio broadcast, despite having a good signal. It felt nostalgic, monumental and modern all at the same time.
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And now, with the 44th Presidency two weeks old, it hardly feels like the gleam, glitter and glamour has barely worn thin. I have never had any true interest in any politician before. But now as both entertainment and mainstream news programs cover everything from new bills being signed to where the Obama girls are going to school, I find myself tuning in, listening and being genuinely interested.
When I see a magazine with the Obamas on the cover, I want to flip it open, scans it's pages and look at the pictures. I want to know where First Lady Michelle got her dress (J. Crew! WhooHoo!). And yes, I even want to know what kind of dog they will get.
Is it all an empty and shallow kind of interest? Well, kind of. Yes. But with the buzz of excitement at the freshness of this new family (especially on the heels of an uptight and disastrous Bush Presidency), it's hard not to be excited and fascination about everything that this family does. And personally, I would rather the country be abuzz about the fact that President Obama has a 'No Jackets' policy in the White House, rather than someone throwing shoes at him.
I realize that the big idea of "Hope" and "Change" is highly idealistic. It's even highly unrealistic and probably unattainable. But in a country that is so wounded and so marred by the last eight years those are probably the only two ideals that are left for us to hold onto. And as Utopian of an ideal as they may be, they at least stir an emotion of optimism of renewal in the hearts of Americans and people abroad.
So it is with that idea that I will continue to tune into everything from newsworthy pieces about the President, to Entertainment Tonight tidbits about Michelle's latest hairstyle.
They are a breath of fresh air, indeed. And this country, so badly, needs to breathe.