The day was gray and misty but my spirits were bright.   I was going to witness the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States, Donald J Trump.  The peaceful transition of power is what makes America unique among the world’s democracies.  

On the train ride to the Capital, I spoke with Trump supporters who had traveled from as far away as Indiana, Texas, and California to witness this exciting and historic day.  Once we disembarked from the train, we were thrust into crowds of stupendous proportions; but not everyone was a supporter of the president-elect.  While walking more than two miles to my admittance gate, I encountered protesters of all denominations.  Some held signs touting “Loves trumps hate”, others sought the freedom of Palestine, while others staged skits with actors costumed in chains with bags over their heads to draw attention to the evils of torture.  But the protesters were by far outnumbered by those who came to support Mr. Trump.

After a two mile forced march and a more than thorough security screening that stopped just short of a full cavity search, I had arrived at my destination.  As I waited for the ceremony to begin, I stood in awe of the scene around me; it was a sea of red “Make America Great Again” hats as far as the eye could see.  The energy of the crowd was electrifying as we waited for Mr. Trump to take the stage.  When he emerged from the Capital building, the chants of “Trump” and “USA” erupted.  The sound originated like thunder behind me and then spread through the crowd like a tidal wave, finally crashing upon the Capital with momentous volume.

The boisterous crowd fell silent as he took the Oath of Office.  Donald Trump was officially the 45th President!  And then he spoke.  While I listened to his speech, I focused on his words, “The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.”  Whether we were white or black, male or female, Christian or Muslim, he was our President and he promised to make our tomorrow better than today.  And as I stood there on the lawn of the capital, I felt that I was part of something bigger than myself, something encompassing and embracing all of those around me and all of my fellow Americans.  I was part of history.