Inaugurating my kids

My first memory of the United States being The United States, My Country Tis Of Thee has something to do with President Reagan and the Challenger blowing up. I read something a while back that said people tend to associate the country with whichever president was president when they were small. I was glad I saw that because I've always thought the way I automatically associate a map of the United States with President Reagan is a little bit weird. Anyway, there must have been something on TV and I saw it and bam! That guy must be in charge.

I don't remember the first President Bush at all. I remember the election: I tape recorded conversations between myself and the girl down the street, pretending to be television reporters. I believe I was arguing for Bush and she was voting Dukakis (and now you know how our parents were voting) and I found these tapes many years later and promptly died an excruciating death of embarrassment.

Now President Clinton, I remember him. VIVIDLY. Not his first several years, but later on, when he started sending Important People to my very small Italian town. I was living next to an airstrip filled with fighter jets, the ones that flew the missions over Bosnia, so he wanted to make sure we were happy, I guess. The Secretary of Defense and his wife came to visit. Mrs. Clinton and Chelsea showed up too (as a member of the high school band I got prime seating at those festivities, directly behind Sinbad's giant head.) My favorite memory of President Clinton is when he and Mr. Gingrich couldn't agree on a budget and government shut down. Do you know what happens when you are living on a military base and government shuts down? NO SCHOOL!

And later, I remember sitting in a hotel room somewhere with my parents (London? I think?) watching the impeachment stuff, my mom nagging my dad to get his shoes on and get going and my dad watching in disgust.

The Bush/Gore election was the first in which I was allowed to vote. And the last eight years, oh, I feel that there are lots and lots of blogs that have gone over that.

Jack and I are watching inauguration coverage. Molly is still sleeping. We had a better night last night, since we weren't TRYING to get her to go down early, merely attempting and hoping and shrugging when it never worked out. And now I've decided to let her sleep through her morning nap because it's not like waking her up has made any difference. Jack is eating a waffle. I'm drinking coffee. I'm about to switch the channel from MSNBC in search of commentators a little less... entertainment reportery.

Jack and Molly are going to grow up associating the shape of the United States with President Obama. I wonder what will form their awareness of America. I grew up with National Review on the coffee table and the McLaughlin Group on television and my dad's Air Force brat stories. Jack and Molly will remember cable news because their mother likes a constant current events chatter in the background. They'll remember my magazines. They'll grow up (hopefully) in a city that pretty much wants to marry Obama. I hope their memories of their first president, like my memories of mine, are simple and good and tinged with a childish red white and blue patriotism. That they know this is a good place to live, and President Obama is in charge.

Comments

[Lisa]

I've got the TV OFF today, and I feel good about it. I'm tired of the entertainment media's coverage of this, um, event. Do we REALLY need a half dozen days leading up to the inauguration to pound into your brains just how momentous a thing is about to happen? We get it. Let's move on.

I guess I'm just a little over-propagandized today. I'll watch the recap, which is bound to play on any number of new channels for another week. Kind of like sports...watching the replays on the evening news is way less time-consuming, and you only have to sit through the really important parts.

[Jen]

I paused the inauguration coverage at some point and now I've got a nice cushion so I can fast forward when it gets too boring or too sentimental.

I can't remember Reagan at all, but I remember Bush #1 pretty well. I didn't really start paying attention until Clinton though.

[el-e-e]

I love this post, especially the end. You're so right - our kids will be "Obama USA" kids. (I, too, am a "Reagan USA" kid.) Thanks, I hadn't thought of it that way. I do hope they know it's a good place to live.

I got teared up when, in his speech, he talked about handing the gift of freedom safely to the next generation. Because I *know and love* the next generation. Or, at least 2 members of it. :)

[ashley]

Maggie. This post was EXCELLENT. :)

I watched it on CNN with a 200 college students and professors.

Lots of cheering and tears and clapping. It was quite exciting.

(And no reportery-ness, period! Just the events. Which was nice.)

[Lindsay]

I love the festivities! I know it's not for everyone, but as a goggly eyed Millenial I am trained to love it.

Great post; I heart patriotism of any color and think it's sad when people get so cynical that they can't kick back and celebrate. Like you said, America is a good place to live. That is something to celebrate.

[Jessica]

I made it a point to get an official White House letter for each of my boys. Technically, they were both born under the Bush Administration, and I made sure to get Van's letter requested before the change-over (I'm a purist... It would have bothered me if it wasn't really from the president when he was born).
I know America is a great place to live, no matter who is running the country. The media coverage has gone over the top and I'm on major burn out. I do not care what the Obama kids ate for lunch today, thanks.
I also don't like paparazzi shows, either, so at least I'm being fair.

I remember voting in first grade for the president. I think I voted for Dukakis because I thought his name sounded cool. I've grown up with very politically active family members on both sides of the party lines.... Politics is very important to us. But at the end of the day, we're still the same country we were yesterday. We're still the same people. It makes me a little sad at the disrespect that has been given to our former President, because that's just not how we should treat anyone. And people talked about Clinton that way, too. We should be classier Americans, really.

[Jess]

I love this. I have the same dream for my future kids. I hope he gets reelected so that they can remember him a little fuzzy bit.

[Redbecca]

Totally get it. My earliest memory of politics is discussing who our parents were going to vote for in the Carter versus Ford election with some other kids at the local playground. Gah am I old! But I know what you mean. DS woke up from a nap just as the man was sworn in. He won't remember it, but he witnessed it, and to me that is pretty kewl. I too am on overload, but I had to go back and read the speech again. I missed some parts what with the whiny kid in my arms wanting to get down/not get down/get down/not get down. Sigh.