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Thoughts on Presidential Inaugurations, 1961-85Jan 21 '09 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line In honor of Inauguration Week, here is the first of two posts commemorating the change of Presidents.
1-21-09 Yesterday I was pretending to go back in time to witness Presidential inaugurations (and days we had the change of a president, such as Nov. 22, 1963 and Aug. 9, 1974)from the point of view of a person my age at the time. These quasi-journal entries are hypothetical, but from 1973 on are an approximation of the day. THe entry for 1973 is pretty dramatic because of a certain event that occurred on that day 36 years ago. 11-22-63 My mom put my sister and me to bed for a nap right after we had lunch. I think something really bad happened today ‘cause Mommy and Daddy seem really sad. Right now Mommy’s talking to Grandpa and pointing to the picture of President Kennedy on the wall. I think something terr8ble happened to the picture on the wall. Grandpa isn’t feeling too good these days. 1-20-65 My dad told me that a man named Johnson was the President of the United States. He’s been the big man of our country for a little bit more than a year. My dad says the President is going to make things easier for the poor people and those in the middle like us. As for me, I have to stop pulling the hair on the doll my sister Beth has, named Judy. I got a spanking the other day because I like the dolly’s hair. And I have to pick up the toys in my room. And also share my horsey with Beth because, as Mommy and Daddy say, the horsey is both of ours. 1-20-69 Right before I left for school I heard a new song called “I Gotta Be Free” (sic), and I think he’s saying something like “Nickel or dime, nickel or dime, I gotta be free.” Speaking of money, I didn’t lose my lunch money—30 cents—today. We read a story called “Found the Little Lost Dog” today in Reading class. I wanted to be the first kid done reading, but John O’Malley beat me again today. He’s the smartest kid in the class. My teacher, Mrs. Supa, is nice—we were all happy to have her back because that substitute we had last week was pretty mean. My dad told me this morning that a different man would be President by the time I got home from school. Johnson won’t be President anymore, but Nixon would be. My mom and dad voted for Humphrey on Election Day, but they don’t seem to mind Nixon. It is about 39 degrees out, and the snow is melting. I was hoping for 40, but we just missed it. I’m hoping the next rocket makes it to the moon. I’m hoping they walk on the moon soon. 1-20-73 When I got up, it was much colder. Our mild spell is over. At noon today President Nixon’s second term began. My parents aren’t too crazy about Nixon, but they like him better than George McGovern, who got beaten in a landslide on Nov. 7. The newsmen have been talking about something called Watergate, but Nixon says he wasn’t involved in it. Besides, he plans to stay in office until Jan. 20, 1977—and this Watergate affair won’t spoil it. I wonder. I hope to purchase Carly Simon’s big hit “You’re So Vain” at Grandway soon. Last Sunday I wanted to buy the record, but they’d run out. I did buy “I Can See Clearly Now” and “Summer Breeze,” though. We are getting ready to go to church. It is about 20 degrees, so we’d better dress warm. *********************NEWS BULLETIN***************** We were almost at church when my mom’s car suddenly jolted to the right. I then fell asleep for an hour or so. I had a dream that I was in a car accident. I could hear the sirens blare all around me. Then I woke up. I was in Ideal Hospital in Endicott. I didn’t think it was too big a deal—I thought I’d be released from the hospital tonight. My mom looked really worried, though. As it turns out, we were in a car accident, and I had a concussion. A nice doctor named DeLuca removed the glass from my left ear. They want me in the hospital for a few days. It looks as though my perfect attendance streak is over—I hadn’t missed a day of school since June 1971, and last year’s perfect attendance went unrecognized because of the Agnes floods. The man who ran into us was a drunken driver. He’s going to be in trouble. The nurses seem nice in here, but they keep taking my temperature in my behind. The blood pressure check is much more enjoyable, but I dread them sticking a thermometer in my behind! 8-9-74 We’ve been renting a cottage here at Cayuga Lake, NY, for almost a week now. Last night President Nixon finally announced his resignation. Today at noon we will finally be getting a new President. It is a sunny day and in the upper 70s—a seasonable day. Last week John Denver had the number 1 song on American Top 40, but Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love” may be at the top this weekend. I also enjoy Lamont Dozier’s “Fish Ain’t Biting,” which is a big soul hit. I keep hearing the commercial “Aren’t you glad you use Dial” on the TV. I like to drive my sisters crazy by playing this game called “Perform the Amazing Feat of Counting to Ten.” Like that scene featuring Ernie and Bert on Sesame Street, I try to make it to “10” without being interrupted by anybody else. Sometimes I try to drag it out by going through the numbers really fast, then slowing down as I approach 8 or 9. We have afford in our future, says one of the TV newsmen. A man named Tom Brokaw seems to be on a lot. 1-20-77 We actually had school today; we had been closed on Tuesday and Wednesday because of frigid weather. Jimmy Carter was sworn in as President today, but unfortunately none of my teachers mentioned it. Asian & African Culture dragged on, but at least there was no quiz. In Latin class Nancy was in a good mood, and Kirk didn’t antagonize me at all. Nancy likes to make class fun—she brought in some propellers she had gotten as a souvenir when she and the other bandies went to California for the Rose Bowl Parade. In Earth Science class we had a test today; I am hoping for a mark in the 90s this time. There’s a girl in that class I like named Lori, and she was the last person I talked with in the Ford administration. I then went to Gym class, where I hope to get another individual activity such as weight training rather than team sports. I am awful at sports, and I do not want to be assigned basketball or any other team sport! After Gym I had an orthodontist appointment, which mercifully went quickly. As a result, I missed English—my favorite class because I get along with the teacher fantastically. I did attend Geometry class, where Mr. Holcomb talked about line segments and triangles again. I did poorly the first quarter—80, but I am hoping for an 85 this quarter. The evening news seemed to think Jimmy Carter did a good job with his addr4ess. He is from Plains, Georgia, and he has an air of honesty about him—the opposite of Nixon and Watergate. I hope Jimmy Carter can help counteract inflation and avoid any recession between the current time and 1981. he’ll be President until I’m in college—maybe longer. 1-20-81 At noon today I watched the inauguration of our new President, Ronald Reagan. Right before the ceremony I heard a really good song, John Lennon’s “Woman,” on WMRV Radio. Saturday is Neil Diamond’s 40th birthday, and I am curious about whether his hit single “Love on the Rocks” will be #1. Reagan gave a good address; he seemed as disillusioned with excessive bureaucracy as I am. He seemed upbeat about America’s ability to solve its problems—in direct antithesis to Carter’s somber tone. I go back to Oswego next Sunday; I will be living in a new dorm, Waterbury. It should be better than dealing with the macho morons from Scales Hall, though Scales is still too close for comfort. Yesterday it reached 37 degrees—the first time all month it even reached the 30s. Today it was still in the 30s—but barely. It was sunny around the time Reagan became president—it was really mild down in Washington today. 1-21-85 President Reagan was sworn in for his second term this afternoon, and he said, “If not us, who; if not now, when?” I was hoping that the President would deplore the yuppie materialism of the current era—but no such luck. It is a frigid day today; in fact, it was the coldest day since Christmas 1980—and the coldest January day since 1968. I am still waiting to hear from Oswego regarding whether they’ll readmit me. I have a strong desire to get much better grades this semester. If I don’t get reinstated, I will have to wait until the fall—and only if my parents give me another chance. I may be looking for work soon.  |
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