Day 2 Inauguration Week – Power, Love and Transformation

January 20th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 5 Comments

“What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

I hate big cities. I’m a mountain girl from Boulder, Colorado. With that said, I’ve been to many cities and I’ve had transformative experiences. That’s the beauty of transformation – it has nothing to do with what you like or don’t like, and has everything to do with commitment.  I’m here solely from my commitment to make a difference and see a transformed planet.

Here I am in Washington, DC, open … to a transformative experience.

In the last 2 days this big city is steeped like a tea bag in Martin Luther King’s energy. Sunday, during the Inauguration Opening Cermonies entitled, “We Are One,” thousands upon thousands gathered at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial all the way past the Washington Monument. On these very steps, King gave his I Have a Dream speech more than 40 years ago. Denzel Washington spoke first (after Bruce Springsteen opened with The Rising), commenting that Martin Luther King’s dream has finally been fulfilled. Whether that’s true or not, something extraordinary is abuzz all around this city. I was too young to join the civil rights movement, but civil rights vibes are dripping off all the buildings, all the parks and all the people. The mood is one of excitement, anticipation, intensity and a groundswell of power … power wanting to make change real.

This evening,, we (Paradigm Nouveau staff) attended both the Colorado Democratic Ball and the Bipartisan Candelit Dinner honoring Joe Biden. Sarah Larrabee and my daughter, Alyssa, attended the Colorado Ball. Sarah kew half the people there, and Alyssa had a transformation of her own by jumping on the stage and singing an impromptu and spirited version of I Will Survive. Can you imagine a white, 14 year old teenager rocking this predominantly black town?! Yeow! Alyssa sang as if she were black and was embraced by the culture completely. They loved her.

Rick and I, at the Joe Biden dinner, had the good fortune of seeing both Joe Biden and Barack Obama speak. It was Biden’s talk that really struck a chord. He commented about the distinction that Barack Obama will be as President. Repeatedly, he used the word transformative.

I’ve never been to an Inauguration Week before, so I have nothing to compare with my experience. And yet, I think I can say that what’s happening here in Washington, DC is unprecedented. There’s a spirit here, no doubt about that. People are celebrating in the streets nonstop. Actually … you know what it reminds me of? The spirit around here reminds me of Mardi Gras and JazzFest in New Orleans. I have been to both of those. :-)

Just to keep things real, there is plenty of politics as usual and capitalizing on Obama’s image to make a quick buck off all the tourists. When a town has a sudden onslaught of millions of people, you get to see the weaknesses in human character exposed. Amidst the hopefulness I saw signs of tempers flaring as well.

I’m left with thoughts like, “How can one man live up to all the hype? When are people going to see that real change starts with them? We don’t need another rock star, we need individuals to be more loving toward themselves, each other and the planet.”

I saw so much power, status, celebrity and money in these past 2 days. I also saw homeless and desperate people on the streets. It’s as is they live in 2 different worlds, a kind of silent caste system. The gap between haves and have nots is alive and thriving.

So … the job is huge to make change real, in this country and the world.

But the job was huge to send a man to the moon. And we did that.

If we don’t reach, if we don’t stand for something … we fall.

Here’s to reaching … here’s to standing for transformation. Whatever that looks like.

Here’s to Day 2 of Inauguration Week.

Audrey