January 20, 2009

Even my five year old students needed the Moment to recount to their children one day, so I tried to get the inauguration streaming over my netbook or computer.  Our entire school has gone wireless, though, so the images froze and moved in fits and jerks,with more stillness than action.  We planned, school-wide, to have the Event in a couple of classrooms to preserve bandwidth.  So my class trooped off to the sixth grade room full of excited kids and (even more) excited adults.  The images projected onto a wall, about one frame flickering every time we almost gave up on the whole thing.  With a minute to spare, someone brought in a radio which was quickly tuned to the news.  As the wall image fluttered like a slideshow, voices filled the room after the last strains of 'Tis a Gift to be Simple faded.  We listened and cheered and clapped and my students asked if they could go play now. I heard the first few lines of the speech as we returned downstairs.  I loved their "of course" attitudes, too young to appreciate the momentious significance of the day.  Of course he can be president.  Of course he can be the leader.  Of course he can.  No matter the color of his skin or the homeland of his father or the foriegn-ness of his name.  Of course.  Yes, we did.  I love that acceptance in my young students as they look ahead to recess.

At home, we recorded the inauguration so I watched it in the evening.  Of course.