Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Stopping for a moment in history

This week I'm in Orlando reporting on an IBM conference, so I haven't been able to follow today's inauguration festivities as closely as I'd like. But I have gotten a taste, and I do have an experience to share.

As I came out of the meal hall after an early lunch, I found in the hallway a few hundred people crowded tightly around a television screen that would normally be showing commercials extolling the virtues of Lotus Notes. But instead, today the television was on CNN, and people had gathered to watch President Barrack Omaba's inaugural address.

So, I stopped and joined them, and as time went on, more and more people stopped to watch as well. Conference attendees from across America, and from around the world, putting their seminars and their networking on hold to bear witness to a moment in history. Loud and spontaneous applause throughout the speech, and a strong ovation at the end. People taking pictures of the crowd and the TV to record the moment.

It was a fun experience, and an amazing speech. While the challenges ahead will be great, clearly today President Obama has a lot of unity behind him.

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