January 20, 2009 It's 6:30 PM on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, and I am sitting in my room at the guest house in Kabul. I am about to get dressed to go to the Inaugural Ball at the US Embassy in Kabul. They will have a big screen TV where we will see the swearing-in of Barack Obama as President of the United States. I have been waiting for this day!I am profoundly moved by this day. I turned CNN on the minute I got home from work. Watching the sea of joyful faces on the Mall, talking to my son Alex as he made his way to the Mall with friends, Skyping with my daughter Louisa later, seeing Barack and Michelle Obama depart Blair House for the church service at St. John's Episcopal Church, I was flooded with tears of joy. I am thinking back to the faith and hard work it took to get to this day. I am filled with gratitude for all that so many did to make this day happen. I am happiest of all for Louisa and Alex. This is their history.This morning, I pinned my last Obama '08 button to my jacket as I headed for work. I told my Afghan driver, Qader, and my bodyguard, Massoud that today is a big day in America. They both smiled. Massoud said, "Obama takes his responsibility today, yes?" "Yes," I said, "today is the day. A big day for America." I took off my Obama button to show to them, and before I knew it, Qader had pinned it on his jacket and said, "Thank you. Now Obama will help Afghanistan." When he picked me up at the end of the work day, he pointed to the button and smiled. “Wear it well, Qader,” I thought. Today is a good day.
I have never been prouder of my country.
The Inaugural Ball at the US Embassy is formal, but the invitation issued a caveat: “Formal – but this is Kabul, do your best,” and so I did. I bought a beautiful lavender silk scarf and a bronze beaded shawl to wear to the party. I hope I pass muster!
It’s now 11:00 PM on Tuesday, January 20, and I am just back from the US Embassy. The party was very nice. Afghans and Americans stood side by side cheering for Obama. Women wore jeans and women wore Prom gowns. I staked out a front row spot in front of the big TV and stayed there through the whole ceremony. I was so happy. When the CNN banner on the bottom of the screen said that Obama was officially president at high noon even though he had not yet been sworn in, the entire crowd hollered. At 10:30, our driver and bodyguard came to pick up the 5 of us who went to the party. The bodyguard jumped out of the car and shook my hand. “Congratulations on President Barack Obama,” he said. I will never forget that moment.
It’s now 11:00 PM on Tuesday, January 20, and I am just back from the US Embassy. The party was very nice. Afghans and Americans stood side by side cheering for Obama. Women wore jeans and women wore Prom gowns. I staked out a front row spot in front of the big TV and stayed there through the whole ceremony. I was so happy. When the CNN banner on the bottom of the screen said that Obama was officially president at high noon even though he had not yet been sworn in, the entire crowd hollered. At 10:30, our driver and bodyguard came to pick up the 5 of us who went to the party. The bodyguard jumped out of the car and shook my hand. “Congratulations on President Barack Obama,” he said. I will never forget that moment.
2 comments:
Wow, what wonderful "reporting" on a wonderful day. So glad you are take full advantage of your time in Afghanistan and making the effort to share some of it with us. Keep it coming
Ann, thank you so much for writing about your day in Kabul on the day that Barack Obama was inaugurated. It was so interesting to see how technology has really made for a very small world. I felt the same way. I thought it was a WONDERFUL day. It was heart-warming to read that the people you talked with there seemed so happy about our new president also.
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