04 Feb 2013 Inauguration 'unbelievable' experience
by Sonja J. Keith
It may not have been on her bucket list, but a trip to the recent presidential inauguration was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Shelia Whitmore of Conway.
“It was wonderful,” she said.
Shelia attended the inauguration at the invitation of her friend, Horace Carmichael of Grand Prairie, Texas. While they both had traveled to D.C. previously — Shelia traveled there in high school and as a member of the Conway City Council — the inauguration was a first for both of them.
“He had already made all the plans,” Shelia said, explaining that she had a “quick yes” when he asked if she was interested in joining him. Horace’s plans were to be in the nation’s capital and be in the crowd.
Shelia — who is beginning her 15th year on the city council — contacted state Sen. Jason Rapert, who contacted Arkansas Sen. Boozman’s office to arrange for tickets to the inauguration ceremony. Shelia received two tickets, the official invitation and program and a photo of President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
“You have to have a ticket to get into the Capitol area,” Shelia said.
The two arrived about 9:30 a.m. and were allowed in the viewing area about 9:45 after going through security. “There were designated areas based on the color of your ticket,” Shelia said. They were two among an estimated 1 million on hand for the inauguration. They could see the Capitol building but relied on big screens to see the actual ceremony.
“It was neat,” Shelia said. “The atmosphere was unbelievable.”
Shelia said attending the inauguration on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday added meaning to the experience. She has typically taken a vacation day to be involved locally in MLK activities.
While the crowd was big, Shelia said those gathered were very enthusiastic and cordial, with strangers passing their cameras to others to have their photo taken. “Very seldom do you have a crowd that huge and there not be some type of problem.”
Shelia said the atmosphere almost had a small town flavor to it, with young and old and different nationalities represented. There was a strong sense of patriotism, with some waving flags. “People were having a great time . . . to see the smiles on everybody’s faces.”
While the temperature was in the 40s, Shelia said she dressed in layers and wasn’t cold. “It was a very pleasant day.”
That evening, she had a “deja vu moment” as they watched coverage of the day’s events. “I was actually there.”
In addition to the ceremony, Shelia and Horace did some sightseeing while in D.C. They spent time at the MLK Memorial, the Smithsonian Institution, the Washington Memorial and the Presidential Gallery. She also purchased several souvenirs, including a T-shirt with a message that touched Shelia: “Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a dream of hope.”
Shelia was so moved by the inauguration experience, she would consider attending another inauguration, especially if Hillary Clinton were to run and be elected.
“I would go back for that,” she said. “It is one of those things that rates high with those things on my bucket list that I have been able to check off. I walked away real proud to be an American.”
