American Pride

On a long drive home, I turned the radio dial to the public radio station, as usual. By late Sunday afternoon, I am accustomed to programming that only fills the silence along the boring stretch of highway. That means classical music from Orlando, or jazz if I am nearest my home station. If I manage my time well, I’m able to catch some of the fun of “From the Top.” Otherwise, it’s just the music, and I often grow weary of it and choose the silence.

Today I was surprised. The music was not the usual old recordings but rather a live concert from Washington, D.C., a pre-inaugural celebration called “We Are One.” After the first couple of pieces, I slowed down on I-95, almost to the posted limit. I wanted to hear every last minute of this HBO/NPR Music-sponsored event.

It was just…well, crazy. I was singing along at the top of my lungs to “American Pie” and “O Beautiful for Spacious Skies.” I got goosebumps listening to the Washington Gay Men’s Choir and the Naval Academy Glee Club and the Washington Youth Chorus. If it had been possible, I would have been up on my feet, dancing with abandon. It was partly the music that moved me, but more especially the infectious enthusiasm of the crowd. We are America, and once again, for the first time in almost a decade, I was so proud to be a part of this great land.

When Barack Obama was introduced, I took my hands from the steering wheel of my car and clapped along with the tens of thousands of people gathered far away in our nation’s capital. Swept into the moment, I listened as the president-elect spoke, not about himself, but about us—our fortitude under stress. There was a paucity of platitudes. Every sentence met its mark. He made me proud again: proud of myself; proud of America.

When Barack Obama is inaugurated on Tuesday, history will be made. I know that matters. I know that matters to some Americans even more than it does to me. I have not had to watch history progress from under the master’s whip or from the back of the bus. I know this day will be like no other.

For me, though, it is about something even more. It is about having a leader I want to follow. It’s about having a thoughtful, bright, generous person in charge. It really is about having hope. I didn’t realize how potent that can be, how very deep the despair had reached.

On Tuesday, I will watch the inauguration of our new president with bated breath, thankful that I have the good fortune to be an American. It is so good to feel pride once again.