Ever since I’ve gotten here, from the airports to just going to the grocery store I’ve felt like I was at a convention. The Obama convention.

The city’s teeming with Obama memorabilia and his supporters wearing Obama hats, shirts, buttons, scarves, you name it. When they start handing out Obama glow-sticks I’ll know it’s time to go home.

It’s really fun, though, to see so many ebullient Americans. It reminds me of the smiles I’d see on the last day of school before summer break. It was mostly horsing around until the final bell and then ecstasy. Perhaps they’re foolish to be so hopeful, but it shouldn’t surprise. Obama’s campaign was fueled on hope; much the same way FDR told Americans that Happy Days are Here Again.

It occurred to me today when I was between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument watching the free concert on the Mall that perhaps people are so joyful here because they feel the new boss will give us some sort of direction. No matter your political stripe you have to admit we’re rudderless now, overwhelmed by entropy. We want someone to grab the wheel and start navigating us somewhere.

I had to watch the show on the Jumbotrons like thousands of others, but every time they cut away to Obama the crowd cheered, especially when he was smiling.

Oh sure, some were thrilled by the stars. One teenage girl behind me swooned when Usher came out to sing with Shakira and Stevie Wonder, and I had to laugh when she cheered Garth Brooks and her Dad said, “You’re too young to know who Garth Brooks is.”

But it was clear who the real rock star was. President-elect Barack-star Obama. When he capped off the show with what was basically a recyling of one of his stump speeches the crowd was rapt. They hung on his every word, and that’s when it occurred to me how desperate they are for leadership. No one knows yet whether he can live up to the gynormous expectations, but so many want him to succeed now — even his political enemies. It really is that scary right now.

I almost didn’t make the show. My friends and I went to the National Academy of the Sciences because out of the four of us one still lacks a ticket to the swearing-in Tuesday and they’d heard a connection through their alma mater had a couple of tickets to give away who were going to be there for the classical music concert. Plus, well, it was near the free concert in the Mall, so it was a two-for one.

So I was waiting for them at the back door as Robyn hunted down her contact. Then I heard Bruce Springsteen playing “The Rising.” Oh no, my friend Mary’s favorite. I had to get her to hurry up or she’d miss Bruce. Finally, they emerged. No luck, but they heard they could get in touch after the classical concert at the NAS. So let’s head over to the Mall in the meantime, we thought.

Mary missed the Boss, but we both got to see U2, another favorite of ours. And to really top it off they played “Pride,” their tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., my hero.

Afterward, I went to a special pre-Inaugural Sunday Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Everything’s political here. The message there was to pray for our new president and, oh yeah, to make sure to plug the pro-life march and rally on Wednesday! Also, I learned they kneel twice as many times as they do in California. Doesn’t that figure?

Tomorrow, I’ll meet with the local congressmen and do something service-related in honor of King Day. I’ll keep you posted.

P.S. Uncle Don, our hilariously clever movie reviewer (you know the guy who always writes about those ghastly horror movies?), had a terrific riff on my “emburrissment” blog. He came up with his own neologism: “burrisimilitude” (n)…not even an appearance of the truth.”

P.P.S. By the time we got back to the NAS, we learned those tickets for Robyn were gone. We’ll keep trying, though….

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