I Write Letters
Dear Mom,
Remember when we used to sit around and talk politics in your living room and all the times you and I canceled out Big Daddy’s vote most of the time during the presidential elections. He and I voted the same this year for the first time in the 25 years I’ve been voting for Commander-In-Chief.
Honestly, that’s more shocking than anything. Let’s just say four years ago if he had put that George Bush sign in my yard, I would have put a classified ad in the newspaper with his phone number saying he had free registered lab puppies to give to the first 10 people who called. Being that he didn’t have a dog then wouldn’t have mattered. Practical jokes go both ways.
I sit here today and remember how you spoke of John F. Kennedy and how you would always say he was your president. I know he was the first president you voted for, so I think you would like the guy they are swearing in today. Politics is what it is and this new guy is going to screw up like the rest of them, but he’s talking hope instead of how we should be afraid all the time. And his vice-president is a gaffe a minute, but at least he’s not the guy we’ve had for the last eight years who can kill kittens with his laser beam eyes and crooked smile.
Yeah, we had one of those for VPs and I’m glad you missed it. He liked money more than he liked people. I’m hoping the new guy does better. You would have blown a gasket, I’m thinking, with the current administration’s love of corporate America. Oh, the things I imagine you saying.
Things here haven’t changed much. I still hear people be racially insensitive which saddens me more than I can ever tell you to the point of tears. Sometimes I think they do it on purpose. But there are also a lot of good people who are kind. I wish I could tell you that certain people had moved past being asshats, but they haven’t.
The guy that will be sworn in as president is running on a message of hope. You weren’t around for some of the stuff that’s gone on the last decade but let’s just say on a political landscape nationally, things have sucked. The new guy talks of change and I’m hoping he can help the country out. Hopefully he will be more popular globally than the current guy.
Mrs. Sherri is letting us watch the inauguration at her tavern this morning across the street from the paper, which is nice. We don’t have access to a TV and I was going to take the day off to watch it, but she offered this and several of us are going.
I don’t think my younger staff will understand that I most likely will get a little emotional. You know me, I love the pomp and circumstance of American events like this and I get all caught up in it. I can’t remember ever missing an inauguration whether I voted for the guy or not. Members of my staff will be with me and I have a feeling the younger ones won’t understand my deep emotions on this.
Oh well, I’m human.
Anyway, I miss you. The nieces are doing well (the oldest one is going to be like us I’m feeling because she’s not even 13 and she watches politics like a hawk.)
As I sit here this morning, I’m seeing the streets of Washington are already filling up with excited people. We have a new president in a little more than five hours.
I wish you were here to see it,
Love you,
Newscoma
This made me tear up a bit… I have a feeling that’s going to be happening a lot today.
Beautiful letter, Coma.
This is beautifully heart-breaking, ‘Coma. Thank you for sharing this.
beautiful.
and i, too, will cry. i find myself emotional whenever i feel patriotic, and today will be one of those days. last night i cried. the kids’ inaugural was on the disney channel, and there were soldiers’ families on the stage talking by video to their loved ones overseas. puddles asked me why i was crying, and i said it was because those were the bravest people on the planet, and they made me very proud to be an American. then she cried, too.
and you know what? i’m crying now.
i truly believe your mom will be right there watching the events of the day with you and Mrs. Sherri. sounds like she wouldn’t miss it for the world.
lots of love to you…(and send my love to Mrs. Sherri, too!)
It all comes down to love and hope. Your letter conveys both beautifully.
Thanks for this.
Thank you, darling.
I can only imagine what my dad’s saying right now. I doubt he’s as gracious as your mom, though, so I hope she covers her ears if she’s over in the Tennessee section.
Just
What a beautiful and touching letter.
I usually try to log into your site daily. This is the most beautiful letter I have ever read. I also wished today my Mom could be here and my Dad could understand what was going on. Your Mom was a very special lady.
“The past is not dead. It’s not even past.”
When my mom gave a speech at UTM several years ago, a pointed speech that didn’t pull its punches about the state government’s tepid support of education, I recorded it and took the recording out to East Side Cemetery to play it for my grandparents.
Then, on Monday, Mom called choked up and cracked my blasé façade with memories of Martin and Memphis and the Civil Rights Movement. Before we had a first black President, we were connected to other smaller firsts – the first branch of UT to enroll a black student (UTMB), advocacy of desegregation of the Memphis City Schools, the and first public school integrated in Shelby Co.
It’s so natural to want to share this with those who didn’t live to see it. I’m amazed that I lived to see it.