"We Are One" Concert at the Lincoln Memorial...by Amy

we have really enjoyed this pilgrimage-like trip to DC. All along the way we have met folks happy to share themselves. Our plane from SFO to Charlotte NC was probably 1/3 inauguration bound, and from Charlotte to DC, 100%. individuals and families, blacks and whites. lots of people taking snapshots of the silliest things... being together in the plane... being together on the metro.

Yes it has been cold, but today was a little less cold and no one seemed to care. At the Washington monument, the reflection pool was frozen, and seagull-like birds would try to land and instead skitter across. Frozen canada geese poop underfoot... bare trees and yellow grass... the occasional cold-toe, cold cheek moment... and, lots and lots of happy and tearful folks. You could just feel the warmth in folks hearts. (how sappy is that)

everything has been run so smoothly. Security is high, border guards and DC police and various army guys, and yes, the sharpshooters, up on little perches, are everywhere. But at least today, during the concert, even though the obamas are here somewhere, the sharpshooters are calm, cold looking or bored looking, eating potato chips to keep warm, because no one is remotely cranky or dangerous so far. All the lines of folks waiting to enter look positively daunting -- but no, the lines run smoothlyg and are actually fun to be in. everyone has a smile on their face. Like us, nearly everyone has bought new pins showing their delight in the coming of hope. our favorite: HOPE WON.

The Lincoln memorial looks great, but even nicer was to be on the hill on which the Washington monument rises, because that's where most people get their first real wow moment, and take pictures of all that they see, the capitol, the white house, the lincoln memorial, the newer WWII memorial. It's amazing, just amazing, to be in a time when to be feeling fiercely patriotic doesn't at all contradict feeling gentle and free of conflict with your neighbor; when the sight of a waving american flag in someone's hand seems to signal nothing at all about their political party or the liberalness or conservativeness of their leanings. It only signals joy. People (especially me) are constantly tearing up. I was relieved whenever I would look around and catch some other person with silly tears in their eyes also. And I NEVER cry... but today, quite an exception.

we also got to dance... most of the time folks were just tapping toes or singing along, but, at some time in the middle of today's concert, when we were edging out of the denser crowd area, over the loudspeaker Bruce Springsteen started singing The Rising, and all around us in a more open part of the crowd, everyone starts laughing and dancing and waving their arms... very sturdy black men in black broadcloth coats and formal hats, ladies in fur coats and fancy hats, little girls in pink jackets, trinket sellers with their boards of buttons.

The absolute peacefulness and tranquility of this celebration today was amazing. From the time we lined up to get our car parked and get on the subway in Vienna, Virginia, and got off it at the smithsonian 30 minutes later, then while walking the streets near the mall with lots of happy people (especially lots of happy black families, but plenty of all kinds), there has not been a squawk. We and everyone else slowly, but purposefully, milled around the mall, heading first to the monument, then checking out the large security area walled off for the concert at the reflecting pond. First we thought it would be too crowded, and nasty, but then we decided to try to go in, we joined a line, and it was great. Effortless, no one pushed, no one fussed, no one even barely tried cut in line. Passing the checkpoints was a breeze, because no one minded being slowed down, there was no hurry and in fact we seemed to fly in, as a group. Both in line and inside, there was lots of socializing with utter strangers, we got photographed by professionals and even interviewed by USA today, we might be in it tomorrow... jumbotrons had cheery snippets of speeches and music all morning, to entertain us til the WE ARE ONE concert started at 2:30.

Then, a funny little glitch. After hours of loud warmup entertainment, when it started, the invocation speaker, a gay bishop, could not be heard. Then the crowd started acting as one. First they laughed, and then little chants started up, that everyone joined in: 'turn it up!' ... for a while... then more laughter, 'we can't hear!' for a while... then everyone pointing up their index fingers to raise the volume. All spontaneous and all so darn cheerful. Never been in such a cheerful crowd in all my life. And all seemed confident that if we just kept our cool, and chanted our requests as one, we would be heard. maybe a metaphor for the future.

Also it was surprisingly cool to be at the Lincoln memorial, and be under the path of many, many presidential helicopters obviously coming and going from the white house, and it was so cool to look at them and think, wow, that could be the Bushes... but then again, it could be Obama, it could be Biden. It was also awesome to look at all the military and police and border guards there and know, just for today, these people are all working peacefully for me, and for everyone here, and after all the planning, they actually appear to have no more work to do, because we are all behaving so well.

it was really fun. cold, thirsty, lots of portapotties, not all clean... who cared. it was an american day. A really nice day.

we hope you all are able to catch some of the spirit of this, from home, and enjoy the current spirit of unity that our new president wishes to foster for all of us together, republicans, democrats, alike.

And may it be true for all of us, those who supported Obama and those who didn't, that indeed, HOPE has WON.