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My parents were invited to go to see Ronald Reagan get sworn in as President in 1980. I was just a hippy teenager and my parents somehow talked me into going to the event.
Let me say that even back then, I thought Reagan was creepy. I was too young to vote at the time, but somehow I could see that he reminded me of a used car salesman or something. I wasn't impressed with Carter either, although he seemed cooler. The hostage crisis in Iran had been going on for what seemed like an eternity and the economy sucked. I had done a summer job in Prescott, Wisconsin earlier that year where the job was agricultural and I made extra money selling ganja at a campground where I stayed. I had hair down to my butt and would possibly be defined as your standard Deadhead. So when my parents said I could go to the inauguration but had to wear a tux for the ball at the Space and Science Center, I figured it would be a good event to smoke some weed and watch all the wacky people. I was right.
The inauguration itself was on a cold, windy day and news had come oddly that the hostages were getting released. There was a level of relief from that in the air. Little did I know how it all happened, but the timing sure made it a good time for Reagan to become president. I was in the ticketed area and could see the event pretty well through my binoculars. There was Carter, his wife and daughter. Reagan had his wife and kids. There were some faces of others I recognized as well. I didn't really know Bush, Sr. nor his freakazoid stoner son on the stage. It boggles my mind to think about it now.
So the speeches blurred by and it was suddenly time to go to the Parade. I managed to escape into some alley with some people and smoked some weed. There was a lot of security, but it seemed like they didn't care. The Parade had protestors, but the police state mentality around the Parade route and the hostage news overtook anything that would have made it go off the tracks. I don't remember Reagan going by.
As the day went along, it was time to get ready for the ball. I had been to a couple dances in high school, but it was nothing like this. Limos everywhere... helicopters flying above... hulking security guys directing traffic... it was a good thing I got stoned before it. It was funny watching banker-type aristocrats being slightly shoved back into lines. Everybody was drunk.
Finally, the ball started at the Space and Science Center and rumor was that Reagan and his wife were going to come to the event to say something. The band was playing and people were dancing, mostly old big band crap and some disco garbage... I didn't dance at all... suddenly, Reagan arrives and the announcer says "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United..." The audio cut off and the PA appeared to have died. I could see Reagan talking with his arms waving, but you couldn't hear him. The funniest part was that people didn't even care! They just looked at the stage and their drinks to see if they needed to get another one. No one complained that there was no sound. About a minute later, Reagan stopped talking and a mild pattering of applause was heard. He walked off the stage and shook hands and left.
I was so impressed by how people didn't even give a crap what Reagan said at the ball. The band started up again and people just went back to dancing or finding another gin and tonic.
Coming in a couple days, I'll be at the Inauguration with the crowds... I would imagine it's going to be a lot more interesting and meaningful.
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