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Inauguration Fever Reaches Sundance
Hey there, just a lil' presidential perspective from here at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The largest crowd I have ever seen here at Sundance gathered on Main Street to witness the inauguration in 20-degree, yet sunny weather. Elevated flat screens lined the street as stereo speakers usually used for musical performances boomed audio that was indeed music to the ears of those gathered.
With the backdrop of the snowcapped mountains, brilliant blue sky and incredibly fresh air, I surveyed all those gathered down below my vantage point and then -- it hit me. Nearly every single person had a smile on their face. I kid you not. The warmth and love you could have bottled. Little kids in snowsuits on their parents shoulders, couples holding hands, strangers smiling and talking to strangers and then the occasional "whoop!" and a "cheer" as we moved closer to seeing the swearing in of our new president.
And then it happened. The crowd grew silent, all eyes fixed, looking up at the flat screens brilliant with the image of our new Commander-in-Chief. As the oath was taken, the smiles on those faces around me were joined by some friends. Tears. Happy tears. Tears filling eyes. Tears running down weather-reddened cheeks.
As the oath was finished those tears of joy, hope and promise were joined by celebratory cheers that echoed throughout the mountains ringing this resort town. Oh, and did I mention the dancing? Yes, they were dancing in the street.
As I watched all of this love filling the street and swelling up to the piercing blue sky above, I couldn't help but wonder about those millions of people lining the Mall in our nation's capitol. Would they return to wherever they came from in this great country of ours as little pods filled with a new sense of joy, hope and promise? And would these O-pods, as I call them, deliver that newfound spirit to their community, only to be matched by their fellow citizens in cities and towns across America who had stopped whatever they were doing at that hour to watch the inauguration?
Would the one thing that can't be taxed, can't be spent, can't be misused, can't be embezzled and can't be legislated be the ONE THING that truly pulls our country out of the enormous crisis we are facing?? Today, my heart says, "Yes!"
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