Our Oprah Moment

Well, the quest for two (or more) extra tickets was not to be. But, there is a little more to the story than that.

We each had to write our name on a card outside Harkin's office, and they were going to draw for the remaining 10 tickets they had. Only my wife and I could put our names in (even though we already had our own tickets), because any winner had to provide an Iowa ID to claim the tickets. Each name that was drawn would only get one ticket, so we knew the odds were long on getting both of us drawn.

We got half lucky- they pulled my name. With only one ticket from the raffle, though, and more than one who wanted to go from our DC group of people, we decided to give the ticket we won away. We gave it to the woman we met in line from Cedar Rapids (pictured above with us, second from the right). She had planned to come out to DC for the inauguration with her mom and friend. Both of her travel mates had to bail out, leaving her to travel out here alone, which she did. All she wanted out of the suddenly lonely trip was some luck for a ticket, and it was cool to give her that. I think she hugged me 17 times, and started crying as we walked out of the Senate Office Building with her.

I have found it very difficult to put the appropriate perspective on this entire experience. I guess being so close to the situation, and being so caught up in the constant events, I'm hard-pressed to articulate my own feelings. Sometimes it's easier, though, to realize my own feelings through seeing those of others, and this woman reminded me of why I have put up with the trials and tribulations of traveling out here in the first place. It's all worth it.