My son said it well today. “He wasn’t my president, it’s not my country,” he said, “but it was horrible knowing he was there, with so much power. What a wonderful day today is.”
A wonderful day indeed. The entire planet surely feels it – well, except for Putin and millions of American insurrectionists who want to smash the world. The lifting, the sweeping away of the cloud of poison gas we’ve all been forced to breathe for four years – because you could not avoid breathing in the man and his villainous allies. A scumbag right to the end – pardoning a list of low-lifes including one of the most repulsive humans alive, Steve Bannon. Refusing any courtesy to his successor. Sulking, whining, and boasting, as he has never stopped doing, along with his repulsive wife and family.
Oh thank God. Thank God for the Democrats today, for that wondrously diverse crowd on stage – Mayor Pete with his husband, Eugene Goodman in a place of honour, faces of all colours including the new senators from Georgia … All of it, wonderful. I was worried about Biden and everyone else in the cold – it was snowing for God’s sake – the women in ridiculous high heels, no one warmly enough dressed except Bernie – giving no truck to formality, old Bernie, in his, as someone wrote on Twitter, “Grampa in Vermont jacket.” I love them all – Amy Klobuchar, Dr. Jill, Doug and Kamala and their families, the many Bidens, and of course the beautiful, elegant, dignified Obamas. Just seeing them made me cry; look what we have missed.
I thought Joe’s speech was magnificent, and Amanda Gorman the poet – what kind of miracle was that, a young woman so poised, eloquent, and wise? Extraordinary. At another time, it would have felt like a good if overlong and overblown event, in the American way. So many fanfares! But this time, following what the planet has endured for the last four years, it felt like medicine. Like a miraculous vaccine. The beginning of healing.
The NYT said no president since Lincoln has come into office facing more serious problems – including resistance not just from the right but from the left. My daughter the Bernie bro was ho hum about today except for Gorman and Michelle Obama whom she adores. I’m sad she cannot celebrate what Joe Biden accomplished today – a speech that did not spare blame but spoke of hope and healing. A principled, empathetic man who has suffered mightily finally getting his well-earned due.
Did little else today; Monique chilled a bottle of champagne and we sat outside under her blankets toasting the new administration. I hope tmw life can begin again without constant checking of news to see the latest outrage. Though the other guy hasn’t finished outraging us, you may be sure.
I did do the TDT Zoom dance class last night, but it’s not for me. We did pliés. I have not done a plié since quitting ballet at 11. I thought we’d be flinging ourselves about, but we were doing dancers’ structured warmups. Lovely for some, I’m sure, but for me, it’s back to line dancing with Gina, where we’re just dancing. No pliés.
