(If your computer can handle
it please click this YouTube
linkand 'Watch in HD'. It's
Incredible.)
12:02 AM, Friday,
January 23rd, 2009:
<somewhere
over California...maybe>
Something magical
about mid-flight entries. This is my 4th in the last 3
months and I love the fact that I'm technically
nowhere. Yeah, that sounds about right for Mr.
Journey. :-)
The
numbers guy in me had to make this a 5
Part DC series. And looking back on all
the Journey videos that chronicled this
unbelieveable campaign as I touch down in
LA seemed perfect. Here's hoping I get a
good "landing" shot at night to edit it
all together with. I gotta say I'm still
so freaking proud that in late February
2007 I had the wherewithall to have
Gary say "Barack Obamalakim" in that old
Egos episode. Makes me look all prophetic
and shit. Truth be told I just thought it
was funny, and never in a million years
thought 2 years later I'd be flying back
from the man's inauguration.
12:49 AM
<sitting
outside LAX waiting for the Fly Away
Shuttle>
The man's
inauguration. When will it ever seem real? You know
what's really surreal? Sitting on a flight with a
black woman, an asian woman - both a few years older
than me and being completely in agreement on damn near
every single thing. Granted we were ALL there
(seriously, no matter what you were doing in DC or at
an aiport you were one of the 2 million), but still
crossing over generational lines, racial lines, gender
lines? And the greatest thing? We all want to help.
We're all talking about ways to do more community
service, ways to give back more - ways to help
everyone. The feeling is just
unprecedented...
...though is it
really? I can only point to Roosevelt for a leader
that seemed so beloved by the people during such a
difficult time... that actually inspired people to
come together and help one another. Granted, we were
all the crazies that actually trekked out here so
we're gonna be exagerrated but the more he speaks to
the country as a whole and calls for action... it
really does move people. We're all gonna have to chip
in and help to get things moving again.
But why am I
surprised really. Isn't this what Colin Powell said
when he called Obama transformational? He didn't just
mean his skin color, he meant that as a leader he
could change the entire country. Like I said a
few entries back I believe we will think of the
timeline of this country as before and after Obama.
It's really the first time you can unequivocally say
that the common-denominator, white redneck, racist
mentality became the minority. They can never be the
majority again, no matter how hard they try. They are
dying off and the minorities simply have babies
faster.
LMFAO. HAHAHAHA.
Too soon for a racial joke? Oh come on, that shit is
funny. Alright, but I'm not erasing it. My twisted
mine thought of it. LOL.
I've ruined the
entire crux of this "essay" by making a racial joke.
LOL. I love that. But I have to say something
about that - it feels like it's different for my
generation. I notice my friends and I try to come
up with the most tasteless shit... because it's
archaic. THAT's the funny part. You know? Like our
generation simply didn't believe in that kind of
racism, so there's an audacity to it and that in
itself is funny. I don't have any racist friends (in
California - lol). It isn't even a possibility with my
friends - so when we think of goofy racial jokes we
use redneck voices...to make fun of the rednecks.
Weird huh? I know I'm not alone with this, but it's
really an interesting anthropological type of shift.
'Cause my kids will probably never even think of them
and would be shocked that anyone ever thought that. My
generation seems to be stuck in the middle where we
grew up hearing them, but didn't believe in it... but
we still know 'em. <----rambling.
1:41 AM (going on
5AM EST - goddamn I want my bed)
<on the
Fly Away Shuttle praying we get home
already>
Can you tell I
just don't want the series to end? I figure I'll jump
in throughout the day as I put together the video. The
landing footage worked out great.
So I met a black woman
at the airport in Dulles who's doing a show where she
plays Billie Holiday - she saw some of my work on my
laptop - wants to hire me to do some video work for
her. Got to talking, we live close by and I have a
ride home. SEE. Obama. LOL. Seriously - it's gonna be
like a brotherhood/sisterhood thing in the decades to
come. Those who were there. 'Cause we ALLL suffered to
make this Journey. The common stories of frozen feet.
The incredible stories of how people got tickets (you
wouldn't believe how many people did the exact same
thing as I did... bought a plane ticket without and
plans just days ago - and things came together). We're
all tired, all can't believe we stoood that long in
THAT temperature (especially those of us from LA)
and we all feel like no one else can imagine what it
was like unless they were there.
11:55
AM
<woke
up after far too many dreams>
I have to thank
everyone involved who made this happen:
-Linda, you
always say that I've inspired you to try and be
more open and honest, and in return you've actually
made me become MORE adventurous. Besides getting me
into so many cool places, even if you
weren't...because you keep doing crazy shit, I keep
doing crazy shit. We have the least complicated
relationship on the planet (basically because we
decide to complicate our lives with OTHER people -
and then whine to each other about them) and I
adore it. India? Did you have to get a job in
India? Not even sure why I'd want to swing that -
but if you stay long enough I probably will. The
Journey will be happy. Go kick ass. And for the
love of fuck stop thinking that asshole is gonna
change. Fool me once, yadda yadda... you're up to
like 6 now. Go eat some curry already.
-Natalie, your
one act of generosity made every single picture,
video and memory possible. I cannot thank you
enough. Hell my DAD can't thank you enough because
he keeps asking for high-res versions of my
pictures because I got so close. You have no idea
how much it meant to me... then again - you
probably did. Heh. You actually mentioned "The
Journey" at one point when I was thanking you and
it may be the first time that this project took on
a life of its own and someone wanted to add to that
project. 'Cause as the years pass and the memories
fade - all that will be left are the pics/entries
and videos. The rememberance becomes bigger than
the actual event - and you absolutely MADE that
rememberance. Good luck to you and Jeff. What's the
freshman battle cry? B-A-C-A-R-D-I. Ha.
-Jill, thought
I'd forget ya huh?!?! Man it looks like I had a
straight up HAREM in DC. The mystery is far more
fun, since the truth is far more boring. :-) Thanks
for the place to stay on the last night and the
ride to Dulles. Had no idea how far out of the way
that airport was. I will also never forget you
getting the email for the last couple entries,
reading one... then halfway going: "I can't express
how strange it is to read this sitting next to
you". LOL. To longtime readers, Jill is a Journey
Player that dates back to 2005. She was "The Wife"
during the insanity of Jess & The Vegas Guy.
Getting divorced is so damned dramatic. Hell
breaking up with someone is so damned dramatic.
CHRIST even being OPEN with the opposite sex
ends up being dramatic. Ugh, back in my cave to
sleep off this cold.
2:47
PM
<watching
the Inauguration coverage I DVR'd from CNN HD while
editing the video>
Oh my jesus there
were a lot of us there. The sweeping camera shots were
certainly something I missed being there. How
overwhelming. I watched a little last night and have
continued today and goddddddddamn... TV did a great
job of covering how huge it was. Finally got to see
more of the "oath flub" and all I can say is - come on
Roberts... you've got like 35 words, and that's your
only job. Biden's dude at least read it from a piece
of paper. Props to Obama for catching the mistake
(though he said it wrong anyway) but good fuck - write
it down dude. That's the point, you GET to read it -
Obama has to listen to you.
My personal
footage is absolutely breathtaking on my 10 foot
screen in HD. Breathtaking. I am so glad I held that
camera so steady after standing there for so long -
because wow. The feeling of "being there" watching his
speech from my vantage point is unbelieveable. I
cannot wait for my father to come out and see this.
It's just incredible.
Anyway, this is a
little ridiculous. I'm not sure I've ever tried so
hard to keep an entry from ending - but it's time. My
video is rendering and they're already talking about
Kennedy's seizure. There's no other way to say it:
it's over. The video wraps up these 2 years nicely and
even I'm a bit Obama'd out. He will never live up to
all these expectations but the good thing is, he's
already done so much. I'm not sure when I'll really
believe that this week even happened, but it will be
bittersweet. The awe is half the fun.
And to my
grandkids who are finishing these 5 entries decades
from now, that's what it felt like.
Now please change
my bed pan.
Adam
PS - You really
need to try and watch the "HD" version on YouTube
(click feedback link below) to catch everything.
PPS - That's the
only time any part of "Watching History Again" has
ever been public...
