United

United.

That was the overwhelming feeling Angie and I left Washington D.C. with after we attended the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump this past weekend.

United.

One statement Trump echoed from the podium stood out to me: “Whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.”

United.

It was an unexplainable thrill to watch Trump take the oath of office to be our 45^th president amidst the endless sea of the red “Make America Great Again” hats. But the pageantry of the inauguration was not the best part of the trip. It was meeting all the people who came in unison to celebrate a new day for America.

We first met two young men, Bobby and MacGuire, from Cooperstown, N.Y. while waiting in line at the Longworth House Office Building to pick up our tickets for the ceremony. Waiting in long lines we found out was a requirement for the next two days.

Bobby was a traditional young Republican – he wore a dark blue suit and tie and donned the “Make America Great Again” ball cap. MacGuire was more casual and a young Democrat leader back home. He was a Bernie guy, but he voted for Hillary Clinton. He came to D.C. to peacefully protest and witness the transfer of power. “Hey, I honor the process and respect the outcome,” he said.

I wish all whose candidate lost had his attitude. He was genuinely happy to be there.

United.

We got our tickets and headed to the Ohio GOP Gala where we mingled with the state’s top office holders who were excited about the new Trump administration. While there, we watched the televised events unfold at the concert at the Lincoln Memorial where Trump spoke to hundreds of thousands of supporters.

United.

On Inauguration Day, we hopped on the Metro at 6 a.m. and walked and waited a lot. Everyone was elated and excited — and peaceful. We were thankful to the police and National Guard who were there keeping us safe from idiots.

We met two ladies from North Carolina – Zan and Emily, who we got to know pretty well while standing with them for five hours. The two gals were happy to be with us supporting Trump and excited about what changes may take place. Emily’s humor kept us entertained while Zan was excited that Melania was going to be wearing a “Carolina Blue” dress.

We met a married couple from Napa Valley, just north of San Francisco, Calif. They told me they were probably the only two people from their area who voted for Trump. They dodged news cameras in fear of someone back home recognizing them. Seriously. No pictures were allowed either.

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Then we met Mike and Marco, both from Houston Texas, and Jordy and Claire, a young couple also from Texas. We met all of them in a restaurant in Chinatown after the event. All four were happy to have attended the inauguration. Jordy played in the band while in college at LSU, and Claire, originally from New Orleans, was 20 weeks pregnant with their first child. She was excited because Trump is pro-life, and she anticipates that he will appoint judges who share her beliefs to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Marco told us he was originally a Marco Rubio supporter (not because of the first name), but he quickly got on board the “Trump Train” after his candidate dropped out.

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Attending the ceremony was the thrill of a lifetime. But meeting and making new friends was more exciting. We were all from different parts of the nation, but we shared the same philosophy. Trump is our president. He is our leader. Folks of different opinions need to have the same and humble attitude as MacGuire. He did not like the outcome, but he accepted it for the betterment of the country. It does no good to promote violence and hatred.

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Perhaps my favorite line Trump said Friday was this: “We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.”

Well said, Mr. President. It was wonderful to hear a reference to God in the first day of his presidency. God has been all but ignored the past eight years. There was a sense of pride in America that has been in hiding, and  waiting to come out. Now it’s back.

Trump also said, “The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is unstoppable.”

It’s time for those who lost to get aboard the unstoppable Trump train. It’s going somewhere great.

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“Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no division among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 KJV.

Let’s all be united.