My Inauguration Post
SISTERLY FAUX-PAS AND THE FIRST MEETING
I was WARNED by my older sister not to “make our family look bad”. It never ceases to amaze me that she can be so insulting and still be tolerated. Hmm…I did not bother asking how she thought I might embarrass the family but as a preventative measure, I decided to brush up on my poli- knowledge. This wasn’t time-consuming since this election and the issues plaguing our nation (and the world!) for the last decade have been bothering what will soon become my first wrinkle centered on my brow (seriously goddesses wrinkle too!).
I was armed with intelligentsia-worthy banter and profession-specific answers to the questions “Who are you?” and “What do you do?” I pre-planned every ensemble and coif so as to be picture perfect at all times; I was afterall, going to briefly meet the President and First Lady (while they were still the President-Elect and the Future First Lady), for the first time, although my sister and her children have interacted with them for years. The irony? My sister seemed to be the one expelling faux pas after faux pas throughout the brief visit with the President-Elect and his family. The most cringe-worthy came as he shook my hand and she felt the need to ‘explain’ our differential aesthetics by stating that we have different fathers and “She has white in her too.” Eww! It just reeks of separatism and prejudice. I chalked that one up to her being nervous in those surreal surroundings and quickly added, “Since we both belong to that same group, maybe I should have given you the SECRET handshake.” My goofy joke made him smile.
Just before our time with the family ended (we would not see them privately as a group again), my sister mentioned my new Sci-Fi crush. I blushed, to be sure, and began singing the praises of his intelligence and creativity. “I cannot WAIT until his Star Trek movie comes out! So choice!” I gushed. If I’d known the catalyst of rapport this statement would be, one should have made it when we first shook hands. It turns out I didn’t really need to be ‘in-the-know’ when it came to politics or social issues to leave a positive impression on the Obama family…I simply needed to utilize my knowledge as a fashionista; my status as a closet Trekkie; and my family’s nasi goring recipes.
A BRIEF TOUR OF MY MEMORIES
The odd paraphernalia- did everything HAVE to have his face on it?; My Invit to the Latino Inaugural Gala, "Celebrando El Cambio - Renewing America's Promise," at Union Station on the 18th: No…I still don’t speak ENOUGH Spanish. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS GOT ON MY ITINERARY; The Huffington Post/MySpace Pre-Inaugural at Newseum on the 19th – Grace Hightower DeNiro and the “Your dress is blue with black accents and mine is black with BLUE accents” Aha! Moment with Shakira; The Bipartisan Dinners: McCain was at the Hilton Washington and I felt rushed for some reason. While Colin Powell was at the National Building Museum and I almost did not get in! The liaison assigned to my sister’s family and me was able to find a place for me to stand around 8pm when Obama took the stage. I think I was only given invitations due to my Republican status- whatever!; Hilton Washington Youth Inaugural Ball: my niece’s question about the crowd outside “Auntie are those party-crashers?”
WOW!
Receiving VIP treatment in a town where people practically sell their souls for it, is pretty heady. I almost (ALMOST) felt bad for those who spoke of being locked out of events and not being able to join the throngs at the Memorial to see the Inauguration. If it shows how much I relate to their pain, I will recount my peril at realizing my tushie went to sleep while I sat down and watched the Oath Ceremony. It wouldn’t compare? Oh well, sorry…
I met so many celebrities that I began to get impressed only by the politicians and journalists- seriously! Whomever referred to Politicians as ugly rock stars didn’t realize that Washington, DC is Distinguished Gentlemen heaven for me! I fought the naughty urge to sit on laps as I was offered several laps to sit upon. The thing that stayed with me the most about the whole five days I was there wasn’t the day-to-dayers that did not (or could not) join in the celebrating; or the destitute that acted as visual reminders of the 'why' behind our hopes that Obama and his team can change things; but those I met that seemed to be ‘playing a role’ in the festivities. They rarely smiled unless they noticed a camera; they positioned themselves around minorities for photo-ops; one, upon finding out I am African-American asked if I knew where “the other Black people like you are hanging out”. I blame the luxe coat and outrageous handbag.
My biggest WOW moments came when I was somewhere not on my itinerary and I bumped into my sister’s crush, Keith Olbermann- he took a cameraphone photo with me instead of giving an autograph- cool beans!; and meeting the guy that found out I had The Gap Band discography on my iPod that invited me to the Super Bowl. Yes, he is a considerable number of years older than me; and yes my mother was stunned that I would accept an invit that landed me at a sorority sister’s home in St. Petersburg, FL; but I have been having A LOT of fun, thus my not writing this blog until now! The Sunday after, I’d returned to NYC and was packing for my Super Bowl trip. I was chided by a youthful and smitten writer about missing a get-together at Old Ebbitt Grill in DC. It was called the Inauguration Survivor’s Brunch; he seemed to think my ‘experiences’ might have garnered me an invit. I am being quite selfish with most of my memories as I am filled with so much information and sensations. Name-drop or share all that I have gained from this experience with a roomful of reporters or on a blog? One thinks not!
FYI: Dear JJ Abrams: Even though our new president is quite busy, and when it comes to Star Trek, he can be a bit of a ‘purist’…you may want to send him a complimentary invit to the premiere in May. If nothing else, I may be the recipient of said invit by default since he knows my sci-fi status. Kisses, M.~
I was WARNED by my older sister not to “make our family look bad”. It never ceases to amaze me that she can be so insulting and still be tolerated. Hmm…I did not bother asking how she thought I might embarrass the family but as a preventative measure, I decided to brush up on my poli- knowledge. This wasn’t time-consuming since this election and the issues plaguing our nation (and the world!) for the last decade have been bothering what will soon become my first wrinkle centered on my brow (seriously goddesses wrinkle too!).
I was armed with intelligentsia-worthy banter and profession-specific answers to the questions “Who are you?” and “What do you do?” I pre-planned every ensemble and coif so as to be picture perfect at all times; I was afterall, going to briefly meet the President and First Lady (while they were still the President-Elect and the Future First Lady), for the first time, although my sister and her children have interacted with them for years. The irony? My sister seemed to be the one expelling faux pas after faux pas throughout the brief visit with the President-Elect and his family. The most cringe-worthy came as he shook my hand and she felt the need to ‘explain’ our differential aesthetics by stating that we have different fathers and “She has white in her too.” Eww! It just reeks of separatism and prejudice. I chalked that one up to her being nervous in those surreal surroundings and quickly added, “Since we both belong to that same group, maybe I should have given you the SECRET handshake.” My goofy joke made him smile.
Just before our time with the family ended (we would not see them privately as a group again), my sister mentioned my new Sci-Fi crush. I blushed, to be sure, and began singing the praises of his intelligence and creativity. “I cannot WAIT until his Star Trek movie comes out! So choice!” I gushed. If I’d known the catalyst of rapport this statement would be, one should have made it when we first shook hands. It turns out I didn’t really need to be ‘in-the-know’ when it came to politics or social issues to leave a positive impression on the Obama family…I simply needed to utilize my knowledge as a fashionista; my status as a closet Trekkie; and my family’s nasi goring recipes.
A BRIEF TOUR OF MY MEMORIES
The odd paraphernalia- did everything HAVE to have his face on it?; My Invit to the Latino Inaugural Gala, "Celebrando El Cambio - Renewing America's Promise," at Union Station on the 18th: No…I still don’t speak ENOUGH Spanish. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS GOT ON MY ITINERARY; The Huffington Post/MySpace Pre-Inaugural at Newseum on the 19th – Grace Hightower DeNiro and the “Your dress is blue with black accents and mine is black with BLUE accents” Aha! Moment with Shakira; The Bipartisan Dinners: McCain was at the Hilton Washington and I felt rushed for some reason. While Colin Powell was at the National Building Museum and I almost did not get in! The liaison assigned to my sister’s family and me was able to find a place for me to stand around 8pm when Obama took the stage. I think I was only given invitations due to my Republican status- whatever!; Hilton Washington Youth Inaugural Ball: my niece’s question about the crowd outside “Auntie are those party-crashers?”
WOW!
Receiving VIP treatment in a town where people practically sell their souls for it, is pretty heady. I almost (ALMOST) felt bad for those who spoke of being locked out of events and not being able to join the throngs at the Memorial to see the Inauguration. If it shows how much I relate to their pain, I will recount my peril at realizing my tushie went to sleep while I sat down and watched the Oath Ceremony. It wouldn’t compare? Oh well, sorry…
I met so many celebrities that I began to get impressed only by the politicians and journalists- seriously! Whomever referred to Politicians as ugly rock stars didn’t realize that Washington, DC is Distinguished Gentlemen heaven for me! I fought the naughty urge to sit on laps as I was offered several laps to sit upon. The thing that stayed with me the most about the whole five days I was there wasn’t the day-to-dayers that did not (or could not) join in the celebrating; or the destitute that acted as visual reminders of the 'why' behind our hopes that Obama and his team can change things; but those I met that seemed to be ‘playing a role’ in the festivities. They rarely smiled unless they noticed a camera; they positioned themselves around minorities for photo-ops; one, upon finding out I am African-American asked if I knew where “the other Black people like you are hanging out”. I blame the luxe coat and outrageous handbag.
My biggest WOW moments came when I was somewhere not on my itinerary and I bumped into my sister’s crush, Keith Olbermann- he took a cameraphone photo with me instead of giving an autograph- cool beans!; and meeting the guy that found out I had The Gap Band discography on my iPod that invited me to the Super Bowl. Yes, he is a considerable number of years older than me; and yes my mother was stunned that I would accept an invit that landed me at a sorority sister’s home in St. Petersburg, FL; but I have been having A LOT of fun, thus my not writing this blog until now! The Sunday after, I’d returned to NYC and was packing for my Super Bowl trip. I was chided by a youthful and smitten writer about missing a get-together at Old Ebbitt Grill in DC. It was called the Inauguration Survivor’s Brunch; he seemed to think my ‘experiences’ might have garnered me an invit. I am being quite selfish with most of my memories as I am filled with so much information and sensations. Name-drop or share all that I have gained from this experience with a roomful of reporters or on a blog? One thinks not!
FYI: Dear JJ Abrams: Even though our new president is quite busy, and when it comes to Star Trek, he can be a bit of a ‘purist’…you may want to send him a complimentary invit to the premiere in May. If nothing else, I may be the recipient of said invit by default since he knows my sci-fi status. Kisses, M.~
posted by ScreenGoddessComplex at 9:36 PM
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