Last Thursday, I was working out of the house and happened to turn on the TV to see what Oprah had to say. Instead of Oprah, Brian Williams was doing a special report. Apparently, there was a plane that had hit a flock of Canada geese in "perfect formation" according to Williams. Both engines were affected and the pilot had to do a "controlled crash" into the Hudson River. I was amazed and humbled by God's grace that all 155 passengers and crew made it out safely. I began to notice all the boats that surrounded the plane and figured that those were rescue personnel that reported to the plane when a 911 call was made by an eye witness. But then I found out, that the pilot had chosen this specific area of the Hudson to "land" because he knew that was where there was a lot of boat traffic. All of the boats surrounding the plane had already been in the water and came rushing to the scene to help.
Shortly into the broadcast, a passenger named Jeff phoned in to give his account of what was going on. He was quite emotional and excited but did a very good job of describing the sequence of events that took place after the plane hit the water. He described how the men on the plane started making sure that women and children were the first off the plane. I don't remember much else of what Jeff said because that comment just hit me. They made sure that women and children got off the plane first. This didn't make an impact on me because I'm a woman, but because of the humanity of it all. I remember watching the movie Titanic years ago...when the boat hit the iceberg and began to sink, the crew started taking women and children to the life boats first while the men stayed behind. It seemed like such an old-fashioned thing to do and so civilized and humane. I remember wondering back then how society today would handle such a tragedy. In the face of 911 and even Katrina (especially the aftermath) and now the Hudson River Plane Crash, it's refreshing to see that deep down inside, we all have a need to help out our fellow man, and that humanity and civility do show up from time to time.
Just as quickly as the news of the US Air flight came about, it was gone due to the impending inauguration to take place 5 days later. If you know me well, or at all, you know who I voted for in November. However, before I go on, I would like to say this...I support our current President and pray for him, his family and our country. With all the hype and drama that our country has been entrenched in for the past year surrounding the campaigns and the elections, I was curious to see how the inauguration would go. Would there be protests, demonstrations, bitter words exchanged between politicians, or awkward/tense moments between the outgoing and incoming first families? Would there be Bush bashing or rallies thrown to steal the attention away from who should really be in the spotlight that day?
As I settled into my couch on Tuesday to watch the inauguration of our 44th president, I was so proud to be an American. I watched the Obama's meet with the Bush's for coffee Tuesday morning and thought about despite the bitter words, the differing values and ideals, the hype, the drama...we are a civilized nation steeped in tradition. I thought about how the day of the Inauguration actually started with us, the American people, and the choice we made on November 7th. I thought about how lucky we are to be given a choice!
I watched Fmr President Bush and Laura Bush walk with the Obama's to the back of the Capitol building to board the helicopter waiting for them. As the Bush's entered the hanger at Andrews' AFB to have lunch with friends and dignitaries, I couldn't help but admire the dignity of our former President. He stood true to his convictions, whether we supported him or not.
And I have to say, while I would never vote for anyone based purely off the color of his skin, it is exciting to see that our country has elected a President of a different race. It's always exciting to see our country turn a new page of history. I do pray that President Obama has discernment and good judgement about the direction he will take our country and look with anticipation towards the days to come.
