I remember when Annie the Musical first came out. I was in high school, and Shipley had a special ticket offer where we went to Philadelphia to see the show. I do not think we saw Philadelphia-born Andrea McArdle in the role, I honestly think it was Shelly Bruce or maybe even Sarah Jessica Parker. Or Allison Smith. It has just been too long.

Anyway, the song “tomorrow” was a musical earworm from long ago when I woke up this morning. And the sun did come out on this beautiful and cold January day, but it didn’t feel like a bad chill, more like invigorating and crystal clear. A beautiful day.

The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There’ll be sun!
Just thinkin’ about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs
And the sorrow
‘Til there’s none!
When I’m stuck a day
That’s gray
And lonely
I just stick out my chin
And grin
And say
Oh
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So you gotta hang on
‘Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day
Away!
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So you gotta hang on
‘Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day
Away!
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day
Away!

Yeah so the earworm led to watching the first part of the inauguration. In 2016 I literally did not watch the Inauguration. I couldn’t. And it was the first one I had missed since I was a kid. I just watched Joe Biden and Kamala Harris get sworn in through tears, which surprised me. It’s like the storm is over and we can finally see a rainbow. I did not expect a visceral reaction.

I was not so sure about some of the COVID era fashion however. Some people described it as being out of the Hunger Games wardrobe closet. Mostly that was applied to Lady Gaga who sang the National Anthem so beautifully, yet was compared on social media to Effie Trinket of Hunger Games fame. I didn’t dig the pin, but I thought she looked beautiful and no meat dress in sight.

However, the fashion wasn’t what was important. The message was. History, faith, reason. Without unity there is no peace. No more uncivil union. He will be a President for all Americans. I think I actually believe that.

Thanks to the Washington Post we have the text, annotated and here is an excerpt:

“This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope of renewal and resolve through a crucible for the ages. America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge. Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause, the cause of democracy. The people, the will of the people, has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded.

We’ve learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.

From now, on this hallowed ground, where just a few days ago, violence sought to shake the Capitol’s very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power, as we have for more than two centuries.

As we look ahead in our uniquely American way: restless, bold, optimistic, and set our sights on the nation we can be and we must be…..And so today at this time in this place, let’s start afresh, all of us. Let’s begin to listen to one another again. Hear one another, see one another, show respect to one another. Politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire, destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war. And we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured.

My fellow Americans, we have to be different than this. America has to be better than this. And I believe America is so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand in the shadow of the Capitol dome, as was mentioned earlier, completed amid the Civil War, when the Union itself was literally hanging in the balance. Yet we endured, we prevailed….”

And poet Amanda Gorman.I never knew her before today. 22 years old. Amazing. Here is an excerpt:

“The Hill We Climb”

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,

would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith, we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

Of course all day long, I saw all the ugliness of social media unfurl once again because it’s not President “You’re Fired” . Still claiming the election was stolen, “best president ever.” Yeah and some of these people are out of work and have been since COVID19 started, so I just don’t get it. Trump did nothing that actually helped them. It’s like we were living with a cult leader for four years. It’s their choice, I don’t begrudge them their choice, but really? Are they really so brainwashed or unable to hit pause and reflect maybe change is good? You know what they told us when Trumpty Dumpty was sworn in?

On my blog’s Facebook page I had comments from a couple of angry men. One comment in particular was extra amusing;

“Ahhh, another site which stifles conservatives by deleting their comments.”

I thought the stick man explanation this month would make all of this self-evident even to bumbling online neanderthals like this one, but apparently not. When you are visiting a page or a group on Facebook, you are a guest. It’s not your group, it’s not your page. It’s that simple. Your rights aren’t being violated, you just don’t like it that whomever doesn’t want to listen to your crap. I am perfectly happy to have a conversation with people who know how to be civil. Rude gets deleted. Fake news gets deleted. Scary angry gets reported then deleted.

Today, I felt hope. I felt a lightness I had not felt in well…years….as in back BEFORE when I found I could no longer be a Republican, which still makes me sad.

Do I have a crystal ball? Nope. But I am not going to buy into weird conspiracy theories either. Today marked a new beginning. Let’s be Americans and give it a chance. Democracy matters.

Peace people. Please. Just breathe.