Risky to say, but my hopes are up

Watching the incredible inauguration was a lot of fun on Tuesday. I went over to my friend Vicki's house because she has a TV (ours is a big DVD player -- no cable) and we went over to her neighbors' Bob and Dorothy's because they have a really big TV. Dorothy had fixed a beautiful lunch spread and served champagne so it was quite celebratory.

It took my breath away to see all the people who were there.

I thought Obama's speech was not great, but certainly good.

I loved the performance of Simple Gifts by Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman -- the evocation of sacredness in the Quaker style.

I loved hearing Aretha Franklin give My Country Tis of Thee its due and could not help but think of how far outside the the established mainstream she was when I first knew of her -- and how much I love "Pink Cadillac".

I loved the tender, humble benediction at the end and the light touch of its closing -- ". . . in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around. . . when yellow will be mellow. . . when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen."

Amen.




Oh yeah, and I think Michelle just rocks.