Though they may have been many hundreds of miles from official inaugural balls in Washington, DC, for the over 200 attendees at Democrats Abroad Guatemala’s Inaugural Ball, the enthusiasm and exuberance were close in spirit and in kind. This was no ordinary inauguration, and people wanted to be with kindred spirits to celebrate the change they voted for. Change in public policy, and change in who we are and who we have become. Planners expected 100 attendees, and got twice the number. And though it called for patience while waiting for service, no one grumbled. Like those celebrants in DC, ours too, handled the crowding graciously and happily. And like their DC counterparts, what was being celebrated mattered more than food or beverage.
The inauguration of Barack Obama embodies the change Americans want in the direction of the country - less militaristic, holding to cherished national ideals, more fiscally responsible, more focused on the immediate problems of jobs, health care, education, progress on social issues, while being less ideological and more unified. The challenges will be met, President Obama said, and sacrifice from everyone will be called upon to overcome them. There has been a hunger for that kind of leadership, and people wanted to celebrate the new day and the new president.
The change in who we are and who we have become is huge. Small children growing up today will see a First Family through a new prism. Their realm of judgment will be nudged toward the content of one’s character and away from color -- without even thinking about it. That is really huge. Many older Americans, even long-time Democrats, found themselves amazed that they would live to see a black man as their party’s nominee, much less actually vote for a black man. It has happened, and it is no small thing.
So we dined, we danced, we toasted and celebrated into the night with everyone else everywhere else on this planet.
