Witness to History by Brenda Dintiman

We had mixed feelings about dealing with the crowds and cold to go and witness the swearing in of the president. Yet, our friends, Caroline and Charles, were visiting from North Carolina and they were determined to be there. I wasn't sure if Teddy would want to go but as Caroline said, "This is historic and he needs to be there with you." It was the first election that my daughter, Christine had voted in and the first time in my life that I felt passionate about voting.

We rode on the crowded Metro and became anxious as the announcer told us which stops were closed or overwhelmed with crowds. People tried to push on to the already full train as we got close to the Clarendon and Rosslyn Station and that was a little scary. They were affable and festive, however, singing and talking to each other and full of excitement. We got off four stops before the Capitol and were resigned to just be near a JumboTron screen to watch. We walked with thousands of people peacefully down 18th Street to the reflecting pool and then to the Washington monument. College kids were carrying signs; parents were walking with children and whole families were excitedly strolling together.

As we looked down the mall past the first JumboTron over the sea of people waving flags and saw the Capitol at the end, we felt emotional anticipating what was about to happen. For me it was a significant historic moment since I grew up in Richmond, Virginia the capital of the Confederacy and we were about to watch the swearing in of our first African-American president. We felt proud to witness the "peaceful transition of power" that makes our country unique.

People cheered and clapped for President Obama. I felt that this was a sign that regardless of one’s heritage and ethnic background our country gives us all opportunities to succeed and even become the President of the United States.

Unfortunately, some people booed ex-president Bush which offended us since regardless of one’s political beliefs he had served our country for eight years. Yet again, this symbolizes our country's freedom of speech.

I am happy that we braved the crowds and am still in awe of witnessing this historic event. The joyous energy of the crowds has given me a renewed faith in our country's ability to heal and to recover from these difficult economic times.

Brenda Dintiman is a dermatologist in Northern Virginia. She is the founder of Fair Oaks Skin Care Center in Fairfax, Virginia. You can reach her at: Email.