The Reagan Inauguration: Five Gallon Buckets and the Wearing of the Green

A Very True Reminisce of Grandmother's Life Told in Snippets and Smiles
Ronald Reagan’s Inauguration
Kaitlyn in this year of our Lord 2005, Grandmother watched George W. Bush’s inauguration and heard his magnificent speech.

The Liberals don’t get it, Kaitlyn, but Grandmother shall explain.

For once upon a time, when Grandmother was a Liberal and typified by the picture below, I went to another President’s Inauguration. That President was Ronald Reagan but Grandmother didn’t attend his inauguration out of some sort of respect for this newly elected President.

Grandmother went to Reagan’s inauguration wearing all green. And sweet Granddaughter, there was a reason I wore green.

There was a grand call made across the land for all women to march to Washington on the day of Reagan’s inauguration and be sure to wear all green. “That way we feminists will demonstrate a solidarity that will be readily visible to President Reagan that we are a force to be reckoned with.”

Or so went the media hype.

Me and a friend who went along were the only visible woman in DC that day wearing green. No one paid us any mind that cold day in the nation’s capitol in January of 1980.

Grandmother didn’t like Ronald Reagan and didn’t vote for him. Though I have come to appreciate this man like I never did when I had proper chance.

I was a feminist, Kaitlyn, of the highest order. They were the worst years of my life and I lost so much because of it. Betty Frieden told me I was persecuted and I believed it.

At any rate, since me and my friend couldn’t see a thing behind the throng of people lining the sidewalks we managed to find two big 5 gallon buckets. We hauled those things all over the capitol, stopping here and there to place them down, stand upon, see what’s going on, then lump then all over again to a closer spot.

Eventually we got close enough to where the swearing in would take place that we placed our 5 gallon buckets down with proper claim of spot ownership.

That’s when Grandmother got bored and decided to have a bit of fun.

Your mother was only three years old at this time, Kaitlyn, taken care of by her daycare provider as I was just too cool to do something so silly as to actually stay home with my child. Sure, I told myself I couldn’t afford it but Kaitlyn, with a determined mind and a little ingenuity one can do anything. MOI was a happening career woman and I damn near killed myself during those years.



So my friend and I had to be back home at normal quitting time to pick up our children and so far it appeared it would be no problem.

Except Grandmother almost got herself thrown into jail and were it not for the expert way I handled the crisis who knows, your mother might have been given up for adoption due to abandonment by her mother.

For when that DC police sergeant told me to shut up or he would be taking my ass downtown to the precinct Grandmother did the wisest thing any smart alec Reagan protester could do under the circumstances: I shut the hell up.

All I was doing was gearing the crowd up a bit, telling them how Reagan was anti-female and us women of America weren’t going to suffer his presidency lightly. Yeah I was loud and causing a ruckus. Who would have thunk that there were so many Reagan supporters all about the capitol that day?

Last year Ronald Reagan died and as Grandmother watched the emotion of the American people I realized what a great and inspiring President he had been. In this Blog entry Grandmother expresses her regret about her young a liberal misgivings.

At any rate Kaitlyn, I am glad I did get a chance to attend at least one presidential inauguration in my lifetime. I hope that you too will get the chance.

But skip the green clothing, Kaitlyn. It’s not a winter color anyway.