Blue Ticket Blues...

Not long after dawn, we breezed into DC on I-395 with a special pass...a lone car cruising on the HOV lanes. The empty concrete landscape seemed a fiction. In the end, the deserted highway was real and the mirage came later. Once afoot and with tickets in hand, the blue ticket line unraveled into gridlock, and for no apparent reason stood still...for hours. One particular ticket holder amidst the standstill recorded a collective eruption of frustration and shared it with the Washington Post.


As the time for the Inaugural Commencement approached, we had choices to make: tread impatience with the rest of the crowd and hope the line began to move; or, break ranks and retreat to the wide-screen TV in the nearby Congressional office. I was happy to wade in the pool of stagnant faces, but conceded to other desires. We listened to the speech in comfort, and hung around for a reception before heading home, while CNN traced the beginning of the parade route....

I took a few pictures, but my exposure was limited. Here are a few of the faces plucked from the crowd. (If you feel like cutting in line, click here.)


Nevertheless, I did not dwell on the missed opportunities. Today was a day for contemplation and ideas. That urge to document images gave way to a more abstract appreciation of the moment. It was a remarkable day.