THE BELL CURVE:

Four years and some months ago, I was debating between watching an Angel game or the Democratic National Convention on television. The convention offered the usual pastiche of political cheerleading, and I was about to switch to baseball when I decided, as a combination of party loyalty, curiosity and laziness, to at least take a quick look at the upcoming speaker who would give the keynote address.

He seemed an odd choice for this important role. As a state senator in Illinois, he hadn’t yet left a footprint on the national scene. He was lean and wiry, exuding youth and energy that captured attention instantly. He also spoke in complete sentences with clarity of thought, a novelty in political talk, especially for the past four years. Admittedly, there was a danger of the wrapping overpowering the contents of the package, but the promise was very powerful and ensured a long and hopeful look.

That look was burnished through four years as a U.S. senator, during which he became the point man — after a blistering primary campaign with a worthy opponent — for growing millions of us desperate to recapture the stature and vision of this country to properly address the problems we face. And so Tuesday Barack Obama became the 44th president of these United States. Not the first African-American president or the only left-handed president or the best basketball player but just the 44th president, able to draw a 1.5 million of his fellow Americans on a frigid winter day to journey from the four corners of this country to share this moment with him in person. It was the world’s biggest block party.

The new president managed just the right tone. His speech didn’t achieve the lyricism of Lincoln’s second inaugural or even of Obama’s long-ago keynote speech, but rather laid out boundaries to his resolve in a kind of welcome relief from campaign rhetoric. Throughout, there was a strong undertone of letting those with opposite views know that we will talk.

“To the Muslim world,” he said, “we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.”

This sense was captured in many small ways during the inaugural period. The invocation and benediction, for example, before and after the inaugural address were delivered by pastors poles apart in social issues. And the Obamas’ attention to George and Laura Bush was almost fawning, from coffee before the ceremonies to seeing them aboard their helicopter as they departed for Texas at the end of the day. How about that, Rush Limbaugh?

I can remember only one other inaugural in my lifetime comparable to last Tuesday. That was the powerful sense of a truly unified country when John Kennedy became president. Nothing even remotely parallel had taken place since then until Obama took the vows in front of millions of exuberant supporters. The Kennedy and Obama styles were different, but not their youth and energy, and ability to pull overlapping segments of our diffused society together. Young people who have been disenchanted with politics since Kennedy’s death returned en masse for Obama. One of his challenges will be never to allow them to become disenchanted again.

My step-son, Erik Patterson, is a young person with a special connection to Obama because they both went to Occidental College. I called Erik to ask if he was feeling any more special knowing he had been educated on what is now hallowed ground. He thought about it and said: “It’s cool. Sure we’re excited. Not just because he went to Oxy, but because he won” (Erik will remember the inaugural weekend for another reason, too.

The movie he wrote with his partner, Jessica Scott — “Another Cinderella Story” — premiered on the ABC Family network Sunday where it pulled down huge ratings as the week’s No. 1 scripted telecast).

The pictures most fixed in my head after the inauguration were of youthful energy. Obama speaking in a sea of overcoats in only a suit jacket. President and wife still looking fresh after visiting endless parties. The presidential couple dancing, really dancing, with confidence and clear joy. The president striding along Pennsylvania Avenue amid a bevy of Secret Service agents. The stark contrast between the old presidents and the new one. The passing of the torch.

I’m very grateful that I was around to see this happen — and to cast a vote for Obama. Now those of us who helped him get there must be careful that our new president is not hamstrung by great expectations too soon and too unrealistic.

Only twice before in our history has a president been handed a country in such a state.

This inaugural was at the feet of one of those presidents, and Obama has been very aware of his presence.

He couldn’t have a better model.

JOSEPH N. BELL lives in Newport Beach. His column runs Thursdays.