Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Red Wine & Ink Spots

Almost midnight. I want to write something for this last hour of Inauguration Day, drunk (quite) as I am on Dom Perignon champagne, leftover "two buck Chuck" red wine, the Ink Spots, memory, fat pit bulls, and love. I'm housesitting the house where I made my Star Trek videos last summer--now inhabited by a fat Staffordshire terrier I am crazy about-- and I invited a few people over to celebrate. Mr. Poodletail, who brought the champagne, said the thing the most poignant thing:
"This will never happen again."

We who gathered to share a meal are all middle aged, and there's an acute sweetness and sorrow in that statement--this is a turning point, and we are both extremely grateful to witness it, and also a little ...well... I think also there's a sense that the future is in the hands of the kids who think, "What's the big deal? We've always traveled to the moon."
And that's this huge gift that people can give each other---to take the blows, of time, of fate, and muffle them like the wrapping on a bell.
Oh my, I am drunk, but I'm also filled with the kind of happiness that is so sweet--like liquid honey--that all you want to do with it is pour it out, so it spreads, like ink on soft paper, like red wine on a white tablecloth.

It's not that I love our new prez particularly, it's that I love the potential--glimpsed once in a while, like now-- for my short-sighted, blundering species to evolve out of brute selfishness. We are like that ridiculous lifeform, whatever it was, that crawled out of the ocean and tried to breathe--like, will this work? Is this going to be viable?
Will we make this leap?
Sorry, I am drunk, did I mention? I sat on the couch after everyone left, each with one of the little paper American flags I had bought, I sat with the adorable dog, more like a tank, really, and drank the rest of the wine and listened to the Ink Spots, and wept at thinking what silly, stupid, little things we are, and how lovely we can be, once in a while, and how, indeed, we will never be perched on quite this particular moment ever again.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Last night at our celebration I had one of those Fullness of Time experiences. As we drank wine and ate good food with loved ones I felt hopeful that The Moment we toasted could be (will be?) the beginning of something powerful that will last long after we're all gone.
Cheers! (this time with a cup of coffee) to Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America.

Fresca said...

*staggers to computer, groaning*

Though I'm feeling oddlly unwell this morning, it was a great celebration--thank you!--of the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States of America!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for last night's celebration!

The spark is about us as much or more as it is about Obama. Millions of people at the capital--the like that old-time D.C. pundits have never seen--who felt personally hopeful and empowered. Almost everyone I've talked to has had some sort of "what am I going to do now (to make a difference) question on their lips.

That is SO much different than the questions heard all through the Bush years..."what can I do?"--which was said with hopelessness, resignation, and disgust.

Isn't it worthwhile to give ourselves over to hope?
I think so.

Thank you for your part in that!

Fresca said...

I totally agree, Bink--it's about us. A leader can set a tone, but he's just one politician... evolution is up to us.
Hope on!

momo said...

Thank you so much for including me, with your wonderful friends, the fabulous food, and the sweetest little tank doggie!

Jennifer said...

It was history, and I'm so glad I was there. I stayed up long enough to make sure to see the moment: Bush getting into the helicopter and the Obamas and Bidens waving, waving goodbye, everyone on the Mall waving goodbye at last, cheering. Not in a vicious way, on the whole, but with a lift of relief.

Also, I love the Ink Spots so much, how odd you would mention them. Now I'm craving their music...

*off to post about coming down with chickenpox!*

Fresca said...

Momo: I'm so glad you could come--and bring that bottle of wine! : )

Jen: Oh no! The chicken pox! How dreadful... That really will make inauguration week memorable.
But really, the Ink Spots suit the mood better, eh?

Anonymous said...

thanks for pouring your drunken-honey-weepy-joy on my tablecloth, sweetie!!!!

Fresca said...

No problem. I'll even pay for the drycleaning...