2009.01.20
'Speaking for everybody...'
At the Corned Beef restaurant in downtown Roanoke, a crowd of 15 advertising and public relations workers gathered at six tables for what organizer Alina Soroka called their "inaugural luncheon."
Some teared up as the new president took the oath of office and one cited an REM rock song called "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I feel fine)."
Chris Henson said of that tune, "That pretty much sums it up."
Nearby, at Total Elegance hair salon, the owner, Dawn Wright, had a television going with a half dozen customers watching the ceremony. In October, then candidate Barack Obama stopped in the salon while visiting Roanoke for a campaign rally.
"What I feel right now, it's a pride no words can ever convey," Wright said. "He was speaking for everybody in this country. He put the responsibility on all of us."
Her group frequently broke out in spontaneous applause such as when Obama said, "We are ready to lead once more."
