Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A new beginning

Should today not have been a national holiday?  Should we as a nation not rest for one day every four years to honor ourselves and our President?


NewFNP did pause today.  She sat on the floor of the standing room only waiting room with a precocious five-year old African-American patient in her lap, her five-year old scrawny arms draped around newFNP's neck so that she and newFNP were watching the oath of office cheek to cheek.

"Do you know what today is?" newFNP asked this little girl, M as Vice President Biden exited the podium.

"No - what?" M replied.

"Today is a very special day.  We are getting a new president - our first black president," newFNP told her.

"Obama?!?" she exclaimed, wide-eyed, although she pronounced his name Obommer.  "I like Obommer!"

"So do I," newFNP said, giving M a big squeeze.  "So do I."


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Me too. Tell M. if you see her.

Anonymous said...

That's how I watched the inauguration, too (minus the child in my lap--only adults in my clinic!). I wonder how many community clinics across the country had little oath-watching parties in their waiting rooms. It was awesome!

Marty said...

Sorry I missed the inauguration but I slept through it. Worked all night and had a 2:00 class.

Brought my camera to school that day and the library had a lifesize cardboard photo of Obama. I had a couple pics taken with my arm around his shoulder. That was cool.

Marty

devi said...

We listened on NPR with a little boom box pointed into the waiting room! It was awsome.

Anonymous said...

I actually said out loud to a patient "Seriously? NOW?" When a walk in came up to the window during the President's speech. Made him wait in the lobby the full 21 minutes...hopefully he overheard our office radio broadcasting the speech. Unbelievable!

Anonymous said...

I was there, on the mall, with my 2 Af American daughters (11 and 15). We soaked it all in. A happy memory for them--to bookend the awful memory of 9/11. I still snap my head around when they announce "President Obama" on the TV. No way!