growgratitude.com

The Inevitable Invitation 
Finally, my invitation to attend a Ball! How many dresses have I previously purchased…probably on sale or even better, clearance (girl can’t resist a good sale…but that’s another issue) with the dream of attending a Ball that year (girl’s got to dream too, hence the purchase of five dresses and no place to go). Maybe a New Year’s Eve Gala Event or some sort of sexy, mysterious Masquerade. I was born to go to a Ball! Five dresses later and far too much money collectively spent for continued clearance-category bragging rights, the time had finally come. My invitation to a Ball!! And this wasn’t just ANY Ball. This, my friends, was the OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL BALL (is all caps still an indication of yelling?) I mean, I wasn’t mad or anything. I just had expectations. My time had finally come. The Universe was providing my dream and in a Ginormous way! So perhaps you’ll understand why I had to understand where I went wrong.

The truth is, I had GREAT EXPECTATIONS. The problem with Great Expectations or perhaps expectations in general is that the door of potential disappointment is open wider than normal. Admittedly, this is not the first time that I not only stepped, but skipped through that doorway. So here’s my story, my silver lining, and how I found my way to being genuinely grateful for my experience amidst admitted sneaky suspicion that Murphy’s Law (something that I am intimately familiar with) was my relentless companion. Care to hear it… here we go!

Ready, Set, Go!
I was invited to the Ball by a friend who had, long story short, done some volunteer campaign work for our President. Having given the what-did-you-expect knee jerk response of “Well, duh” when asked if I would like to go, coupled with the reinforcing facial extortions affirming that his question was essentially rhetorical (at least in my mind) and knew for sure that this was really going to happen, the race was on. What does a girl wear to THE OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL BALL with only 3 days to get it together? Certainly not one of the previously acquired dresses in the I-can’t-get-rid-of-anything wardrobe. No this dress would warrant a bit more expenditure in order to be appropriate for the magnificence that I was about to experience. This dress would warrant a substantial Google search to even answer what does one wear to such an event? I mean, this is, after all, the POTUS, the greatest country on earth! And the fact that I twice sprinted to the polls to cast my vote for My Man… I mean, OUR Man (regardless of the fact that the local polling place was at the end of my block), I would have driven cross-country if need be. Given sufficient notice, I would have walked cross-country if warranted. But I digress…somewhat. Back to the Ball.

Expect the Unexpected
Surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult as I imagined finding the ultimate dress that I simply had to have. Once I saw it, there was no need to look any longer. Then I saw it on me and my imagination took off. Yes, I loved this dress, this gown, this classy, elegant, celebrate-the-President-that-I-love gown. Naturally born bargain shopper had already scanned the price, said “Wow, but it’s an amazing gown!” and promptly inquired about opening a credit card account purely for the purpose of obtaining my treasure at a discount! I envisioned being at the ball looking exquisite awaiting arrival of the President and First Lady. Go ahead, ask me who I’m wearing, I imagined. And yes, I would proudly exclaim it was off the rack perhaps mortifying some of the other attendees at this most gala event. I think by then, the whole Great Expectations thing had taken over. Shortly thereafter, the aforementioned Murphy reared its ugly head and accompanied me from the purchase of perfect accessories (again at the aforementioned discount) to the chair at my hairdresser (you knew I had to get my hair done to go with that amazing gown, the perfect accessories, oh and I forgot to mention the nicely sale-priced pair of 4 and 1/2 inch heeled sandals).

The Low Down on the Up Do
“Perfect!” I said to my beloved hairdresser when we both agreed that an up do would be most appropriate for the Ball. Now, you have to understand, that I am not a person who spends time on or knows a lot about my hair, different styles and all that but I can appreciate some of the glamour and celebrity magazines with women wearing fancy and somewhat unique styles. But really? My hairdresser is truly fabulous but when I saw my up do I really wanted an up don’t. Something had changed and I think it was the shape of my head. But I went forward figuring maybe I could play with it a little bit and get it to work for me without completely ruining it (my hair that is not my head).The Road Trip was Getting There
The Ball was 2 days away and tickets had to be picked up in D.C. by 7 pm the next day or else. So not living too too far from D.C., you know a road trip was in order, right? Me, my friend who invited me, and what’s a really good road trip without my loyal companion, Murphy, jumped in the car eager to secure our tickets as the experience of a lifetime was becoming closer to reality with each passing mile. With perceived magic at work, last-minute hotel reservations were confirmed (not surprisingly no discount price there), plenty of time to arrive in time and ain’t we got fun!

Now, I have GPS but I only use it in the way I know how, fully realizing that I am not even beginning to scratch the surface of its capabilities. Who has the time for reading tutorials & updates? Just get it to work and roll with it. I’m not sure it would have made any difference. While the trip to D.C. was relatively uneventful and fueled excitement and anticipation, once we got to D.C. all hell broke loose (that of course contingent upon how you choose to view it). So, as I was saying, all hell broke loose. We got the tickets. Yay! And as I pulled away from my illegally-curb parked-just waiting for my friend to secure tickets to the Ball of the year-parking space, I hit the curb as I pulled round and my car kindly informed me that perhaps we had a tire pressure problem. So, of course I’m going to pay attention to what my car is saying and lo and behold not only did I manage to get a flat tire, but the tire that hit the curb was irreparably damaged and had completely deflated immediately upon impact. No bang, no pow, no hissing sound of air escaping.

When You Arrive, Know Where You Are
Ok. No worries. Call AAA. Good luck explaining you’re location. Ah, the call that they have arrived. But I don’t see them. Then the returned call to again clarify where we were. Oh, we’re in the South East and you went to the North East… so how long does it take to get here from there I naturally inquired (fully expecting that a number of streets in D.C. were blocked off). “Ten minutes”, he retorted. TAKE THAT MR. MURPHY! And given that it was mid-January, I even got permission to sit in the heated car while the tire was conveniently changed. Thank you AAA! Perhaps I had managed to shake off Murphy after all. HA!

Suite Surrender      
OK, tire changed, GPS programmed for hotel (nicely located close to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.) we were off for some well needed rest before the big day and even bigger night that awaited us the next day. It wasn’t long after we began riding that my friend and I grew concerned that we just may be going in circles. You know the dreaded GPS word, “recalculating”. GPS couldn’t predict all the street closings that had been put in place in order to provide the necessary security for this most momentous historical event. And evidently neither could anyone in D.C. But it wasn’t until I convinced my friend (the one who invited me, not Murphy-although it might as well have been) to call the hotel and see if they could direct us, that my bright-eyed optimism began to dissolve. “What do you mean you gave our suite away?” the three of us yelled simultaneously into the phone (yes, I do believe I heard Murphy screaming as well). The eve of the President’s Inauguration and you gave our room away and of course are now completely booked? Oh, hell no! Our 2.5 hour drive had taken 8 hours and counting. No, we can’t talk on the phone (we could barely talk at all). We have to meet in person because only seeing us will help you understand that not only are we exhausted but we’re on the edge. Driving in circles for 6 hours will do that to you. I expected inconvenience but not quite at this level. Where does one find a hotel room in or around D.C. the night before the President’s Inauguration without being willing to forfeit an absurd amount of money in exchange for a place to lay your head? So we laid our heads down for an absurd amount of money in a hotel tucked behind a hospital emergency room just past the cancer center. Can you feel my pain? But alas, tomorrow is a new day (in more ways than one) and damn it Annie, the sun will come out tomorrow!

When the Sun Comes Out
Much to my dismay, but fortunately, my friend opted NOT to reserve the 2nd night in our I-don’t-get-what they-were-thinking hotel. I thought for sure our upcoming night of celebrating would be hampered by the need to drive as far away from D.C. for a room that I might as well make reservations at my own abode. Who would have thunk that the hotels were only booked up for the night BEFORE the big day but not the night OF the big day?! So back we went to our original hotel with the suite that was now available. By that time, my friend, who I was just really getting to know well, called me cranky. I hate labels. I would have called it something else but ok, call me cranky. We made the trek back to the hotel that morning and when we arrived we were directed to go to the nearest public parking garage in order to await the 3pm check-in. I’m not sure how this unfolded but I’m guessing it was either the expression on my friend’s and my face or maybe our reputation from the night before preceded us, but somehow the hotel was magically persuaded that perhaps they had a suite ready right now, allowing us to leave our car with the valet and make our way to our room, which is exactly what we did.

I was surprised at the difficulty I had trying to get a sense of what to expect at the Inaugural Ball. Inquiry minds wanted to know. One website touted dinner, drinks, and dancing the night away. So, I held off on eating until dinner. I couldn’t decipher whether the drinks were included or if it was cash bar but as far as celebrity performances, we got what I recall being publicized.

I prepared for the Ball, donning the gown that I loved, the up do still done up and the 4 and ½ inch heels that I prayed would not be killing my feet before the night was over. Enjoyed a couple of amazing home-made Margaritas if I do say so myself and we were off to the Ball feeling fabulous.

We hailed a taxi and quietly sat as the meter continued to tick higher and higher and the traffic continued to move slower and slower. Finally, we ditched the cab after being encouraged to walk as a means of getting to our destination sooner. As we neared the Convention Center where the Ball was held, anticipation filled the air.

An-ti-ci-pation…It’s Making Me Wait!
The thing about anticipation is the uncertainty. You have a vision of what you think you might experience and that vision evolves from information and imagination. I’ve admitted that my information was limited… unlike my imagination. Call me Cinderella, but I really began to believe in fairytales. Then call me Sleeping Beauty and tell me to wake the hell up!

Fashionably Late To the Ball?
We arrived a bit late for the Ball in order to avoid the cold and the crowd waiting to enter the building. From there it was a whirlwind. As we entered the Convention Center, the stage was set. Billowing sheers and curtains adorned the stage along with the POTUS symbol. Truly a lovely backdrop. Now, for the table seating and dinner/hors d’ouevres. Wrong! No table seating. No dinner. If a meal or hors d’oeuvres were served that we somehow missed, there was no evidence of it. But yes, thankfully, there were plenty of bars set up throughout the cement-floored Hall. No crystal or glass, but half-sized plastic cups. And no discount prices. Oh, this was not at all what I was expecting.

Non-Resistance Goes with the Flow
Our fashionably late arrival resulted in missing Alicia Keys perform but shortly after arrival the Presidential theme music began to play, the crowd rushed the stage, and the couple whom I am so proud to call our President and First Lady entered the room and danced for us to “Let’s Stay Together” with Jennifer Hudson singing in the background. Magnificent!

Stevie jammed for a good while including performing our President’s signature campaign song, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”. Love that! But the ultimate with Stevie for me was when he sang his Happy Birthday rendition in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King on Martin Luther King Day! Always wanted to hear that live! John Legend was also in the house and put it down. Fine specimen of a gentleman…complete with a great voice too!

By evening’s end, I was feeling pretty good but not what I had imagined feeling. Honestly, somewhat disappointed. Three days of running around to prepare and I had somehow missed the mark on what to expect. When expectations go unmet, you can’t help but feel disappointed…or can you?

Where is the silver lining when you feel let down?

Perspective Shines in Stillness
It wasn’t until the morning after returning home that I began to realize what an awesome experience I had just been blessed with. Sometimes a moment of solitude and reflection puts things in perspective. No, it wasn’t the fairytale Ball that my imagination ran wild with albeit somewhat scaled back in light of economic times. No, it wasn’t a story where everything went smoothly. It was, however, a truly memorable lifetime experience that I should have had on my bucket list but now I don’t have to. It is a story that included a fairytale dance at the Ball complete with a happy ending. It is a story of the importance of perspective and the ability to find the silver lining. It is a story that I have shared with my daughter who can someday share it with her children, and they, their children. The story of when I attended the Official Inaugural Ball for the President of the United States. The story of the Inauguration and celebration of our first African-American President on the same day that we, as a nation, honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday and Legacy. Could it have been any more symbolic or meaningful? I think not. And honestly, I couldn’t be more grateful not only for the opportunity to have had the amazing experience that I had, but for the friend who chose to ask me to the Ball I had waited for all of my life. And what a Ball it was!