Inauguration Day 2009

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 will forever be remembered, indelibly, by every American and the world. Working in the restaurant, I am constantly exposed to unique social behavior. For some reason, when people break bread with one another a filter is often turned off as well. From morning to night on Tuesday, UpStairs opened up its doors to host a bevy of events that welcomed the whole city of Cambridge to participate in the hopefulness of Inauguration Day 2009. Starting with a free breakfast with an open invitation to the city, nearly 250 people showed to start their day off with us at UpStairs. Emotions were running high and it wasn't even 8:00 a.m. The culture of the room was astounding as guests mingled wantonly with complete strangers, clearly anticipating the momentous occasion to come later that afternoon. Little children with their parent's encouragement were attempting to say "Obama" for the first time.
By the time lunch service began, there were no words for how jubliant the dining room felt. Once the seats were filled, the champagne flowed and flowed! "Melting Pot" Chili was dispensed, and soon silence took over the room as President Obama began to speak. I watched several members of my kitchen staff emerge to listen intently alongside the customers in the room. Looking out over the sea of people filling the Monday Club I had never felt so hopeful in my entire life. There will be change because there must be change. Tears welled up in my eyes, possibly because I was working on several hours of sleep, but mostly because of the fondness I felt for every person in that room who chose to share in this historic moment with us. The day could not have been any better if we had tried. Here is a link to some pictures of the joyous day we all shared. http://picasaweb.google.com/evelyman/InaugurationHarvardSquare#
So here's to hoping! May this new administration, despite the heavy burden it already faces, be embraced as wholy as we embrace our friends and family.