20 | January | 2009 | Eleventh Stack

I have to admit, when I sat down to write this blog I found myself at a bit of an impasse when it came to what the topic would be on. Due to today’s inaugural events, I thought it would be foolish to overlook them in the post. Alas, there are few books that specifically deal with the inauguration as a whole. We certainly have some famous speeches, such as J.F. Kennedy’s inauguration address on CD or in book format, but I was unable to find a specific book on the topic.

So I took a walk around the library to scrounge up something, and found myself lurking in the Mezzanine here at Main. It is, in my opinion, the best section here because it has all the books on my favorite topics, from history to religion, along with philosophy, business and folklore- I can find it all in a small space. Some of the historical tomes make you feel in awe when you think about them long enough. One can only imagine what it was like to live during the times of Ancient Rome when Hannibal of Carthage marched on Rome with his elephants through the Alps, or when England separated from the Catholic Church during the reign of King Henry VIII. These events drastically changed the course of history!

Something struck me then, as I was pondering all of this. Today, we are living history in the making. We are seeing a great change occur in the history of our own country. Not only are we gaining the first African American president, 50 odd years after the Civil Rights Movement, but we are also seeing the first change of the presidency since 2001. After eight years we are experiencing something new and different in the history of our Nation.

So what is there left to be said? The event tends to speak for itself, and only time will tell what impact all of this will have on our country. I implore anyone who has the time to go to Woods Run library for the Inauguration Party and experience this moment of our history together. It’s a grand occasion, so whether alone or with a large group of people I hope you all watch it and keep in mind that you are living history.

-An afterthought, I came across something on CNN that I thought everyone would enjoy. It is an inauguration speech library, beginning with our very first president! Enjoy!