I was arriving in the Atlanta airport today just before noon. Not aware of the time, I hoped to catch the end of Obama's speech if I could find a broadcast. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was ahead of his swearing in and it was being broadcast on every television in the airport.
I and a co-worker grabbed a drink and headed to a gate seating area where there was still room to view the TV. We found ourselves sitting just as the ceremony was to start. It was at this moment that the Atlanta airport will forever hold my memory. For as we settled in and Obama stood to take his oath, the sounds in the airport fell away. All announcements ceased, people were silent and all that you could hear was the echo of Barack Obama taking his presidential oath as it drifted gate to gate emanating from the succession of televisions. For a moment, there was no sound but the voices of Barrack Obama and the Chief Justice. You could feel the emotion. It was like sitting on the home team side, you may not have known those sitting next to you but everyone was prideful at the site of their team. There was an instant comradery among strangers. When Barack Obama finished the last line, this quiet audience then rose to their feet and cheered and clapped as though we had just scored a huge victory.
