Why I Ignored Inauguration Day

Why I Ignored Inauguration Day

My reasons for ignoring the second inauguration of Barak Obama have nothing to do with ideology. His first inauguration was an historic event. Hordes of people traveled from afar to gather in Washington, DC to witness the swearing in of the first Black president of the United States of America. It signified sweeping change in the American psyche, a belief in a new social order for many, and the promise of transparency in government.

Ultimately, nothing changed. Stalemate in Washington. Higher taxes. More people are on the dole. Crappy economy. We’re still in Afghanistan. The government wastes my tax money. There hasn’t been a budget in 4 years.  Judicial confirmations are backed up for years.  And the promised transparency is gone with the wind.  The American people continue to reelect the same losers who have accomplished nothing for the last 4 years.  I have a great deal of antipathy towards both parties.

And, there is the traffic. I work in the District of Columbia. Traffic is abominable on even a Thursday in July. Metro is antiquated, breaks down regularly, and continues to operate on 1970’s technology. The roads into, out of and around DC were inadequate as soon as they opened. There is no rapid transit from Dulles Airport to the city.  This we face on a daily basis. Add to that the influx of humanity to experience the inauguration and its attendant festivities and I envision nothing but a nightmare of epic proportions with transit. From what I’ve read on the web this afternoon, my predictions were on target.

So, we began our holiday watching a documentary on the life of Dr. King followed by my manic obsession with organizing! The bug hit me last weekend when I found myself clearing my office of bad karma, eliminating excess paper, and investigating what was actually in my 1960 era piggy bank. (uhm…old pennies).

This weekend I found myself organizing my Civil War / sewing closet and purging my stash of fabric that would likely never be transformed into a garment of any era, clearing the master closet of 3 ½ inch plus heels, empty shoeboxes, jeans with too little spandex, tops that require ironing, & any items that has lost its luster.  While Washington celebrated its corrupt politicians, I celebrated my life moving forward with less stuff. And that, to me, is renewal. Freed from the weight of too much stuff I am now ready to face the coming spring.