Barack Calls No One Sir!

Well, the day came and went, Barack Obama has indeed become America’s 44th President and what a day it was.

The crowds were enormous, the biggest I have ever seen in my life, and I didn’t even understand the magnitude of it all until I came home and watched it on CNN.

My friends and I were sandwiched somewhere just below the Washington Monument on a day that started around 5am and finished (as far as being outside) some 12 hours later.

I didn’t know I could be on my feet for so long, Lord knows I felt it afterwards, hobbling around the apartment, but it was totally worth it!

Man, Washington DC was a great place to be, such warmth and good vibes the whole week we were there.

Everyone commented on how much love was being shown by everyone who was there. Talking to loads of people from around the world, everyone expressing the same or similar sentiments. Feeling the hope, craving the change, recognising the significance of the past two years and the culmination of the effort by voters, grassroots campaign workers, the Democrats and Barack Obama himself to pull off a historic campaign that got him the top job in the World.

I spoke to folks back in the UK where I think there were almost as many inauguration celebration events as there were going on in Washington.

The world celebrated what is sure to be a sea change in American politics.

Though the expectation on President Obama is HUGE, if he manages to achieve half of what he has promised during the campaign, it will still be a significant achievement.

On election night I stayed up to watch the results come in, and despite the pundits and the pollsters, I didn’t believe it until the results passed the number of electoral votes needed to secure the presidency.

On Tuesday, I saw old people, young people, black and white, disabled people, veterans everybody cheering, waving flags, smiling and crying as he took his oath.

Washington DC was awash with people, millions turned out on a freezing cold day, many stating that they just had to be there to be a witness.

Maybe I will write more about the week and the day, but to tell you the truth, I am still absorbing all the video and reading reports on it right now.

I just wanted to post something to acknowledge this moment in history. The first African American president of the USA. The brother doesn’t have to call anyone Sir!

Congratulations Mr President.