Present for History in the Making

Warning: although it's not professionally prudent to talk politics, I am succumbing to that temptation.

Today, my three and a half year old son and went to see Barak Obama. It was an hour's drive to get to the metro station, a 30 minute ride to the Arch grounds, and a brisk-paced 15 minute walk to the end of the line. Pictured above is the spot where we started our hour wait. You can make out one leg of the arch in the distance, and you can see the line double back to the park. It took just over an hour to make it onto the arch grounds from this point in line.

I found it fitting that the line passed the President Casino!
Here is a jubilant bunch of whooping and waving folks---we got to see the motorcade, and the waving silhouettes inside the vehicles and buses. From the line to the actual rally, I was impressed by the mood of the crowd. We were a harmoniously integrated bunch, high on the possibilities for our future.
From where we stood, we could see only the throng ahead of us. When I stood on tiptoe and held my camera up, this was the view. Some AP photos capture the multitude better. I have never been a part of something so big.
What a great day to change the world! Though respectfully quiet, the vibe at the rally matched the fervor usually reserved for concerts or sporting events.
Above is another attempt at a crowd shot from where we stood, as near as possible to the Jefferson Expansion Memorial while still on the Arch grounds.
Thank goodness for a zoom lens! And quality sound systems. By the time Obama's speech began, my son had wearied of the experience.
I didn't want my little adventurer to ruin anyone's experience, so we lingered at the perimeter of the park for a bit before walking around downtown. Fortunately, I could still hear our great leader when we were blocks away. (I bought the Obama pendant on Etsy last winter!)