But real history people feel it all. All human history is relevant and history people want to feel it and know it and witness it whenever possible.
We are those kind of people. Jennie and I are and we seem to have infected our children with the same virus. We do travel from time to time and when we do, not a day will go by without some sort of stop, some observation, or history lesson. Throw a helping of patriotism and political science in there and you can understand our attraction to things presidential.
Burial sites are a thing. Driving across Iowa, we were so excited to see that Herbert Hoover was buried along the way. In addition to Hoover, we've hit Washington, Adams (John AND John Quincy), Filmore, Lincoln, & Kennedy, not to mention two time presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in Bloomington, Illinois. In Quincy, Mass, Jennie draped herself across First Lady Abigail Adams' burial vault just so she could be that much closer to history. We did however pass on seeing Richard Nixon lying in state after his death in 1994. It was a closed casket and unless we could see him, we couldn't do the three hours of driving.
We saw Bill Clinton jogging on a beach in San Diego, met 1984 Democratic VP candidate Geraldine Ferraro, and volunteered to work an event so we could see 2008 Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin. But we were most successful the day we tried to meet Hillary Clinton.
I couldn't tell you the date. It had to be summer of 2003. A senator then, we knew that Hillary would be speaking at an event at Welch-Allyn, a local company that makes medical devices. So we thought, we'd try to see her. We assumed there'd be a lot of people there to see her so we made up a sign to get noticed, packed up the kids (just Zach & Thomas. Sorry Maddie, you weren't around yet), and headed out. Of course we felt like we were running late. There'd be all these people and Secret Service so we parked at the Mottville post office and walked. Having always driven this route, we never took notice of the steepness of the hill. The hike, our fitness levels, our anxiety, and the heat made for an uncomfortable walk. Still we persevered. We crested the hill and.....there was not a single person there.
Welch-Allyn at the time, had two plants. An older one back in a built up area, and this newer plant, like all newer plants, was built on the edge of town in a wide open area. And there we were, just us, at the end of a long driveway, with two small children, and a sign, in what felt like the middle of nowhere. At this point I was feeling very conspicuous and a little stupid. We had no idea what to expect, so as cars came by we sort of halfheartedly held up the sign wondering in what kind of vehicle Senator Clinton would arrive. She was supposed to be there at top of the hour and it was a little after. Maybe we missed her? But when it happened, we knew.
A team of dark SUVs approached. We perked up. Jennie held up the sign. I waved. And then.... they stopped.
It all happened so fast. Doors opened and as Jennie describes it, it was like a clown car. People kept pouring out. Security, aides, people in suits all came walking toward us. Then they seemed to part and from the middle of this mess steps out a woman who was at least a head shorter than the next shortest person in the group.
I tell my kids, when you go in to a situation, know what you're going to say. At least have an idea, because when the moment is upon you, it happens fast and if you aren't ready, you'll miss it. That is experience talking, because at that moment, I felt like Ralphie in A Christmas Story when he finally got to sit on Santa's lap. He was supposed to ask for the BB gun, but he went blank. What the hell do you say? How about a nice....football? I think Hillary pretty much led the whole session. She introduced herself and asked our names. She spoke to the boys. Where are you from? Teachers and veterans and all that. It seemed like a long visit. Who knows? Maybe it was only two minutes.
So Hillary sees me holding a camera and says, "Why don't we get a picture?" We line up and I give my camera to an aide. We're standing there and the aide, the now controversial Huma Abedin, can't figure out my camera. While I show her the button, Jennie doesn't move. She and Hillary have arms around each other, Jennie's so tight that she swears the Secret Service detail is ready to pounce. Jennie tells Hillary, "I could go and help them with the camera, but I just want to stay here and hold on to you." Hillary told her, "I'm going to hold you right back." Huma masters the camera. We get the picture. We say good-byes and thanks. The clown car filled up and left as quickly as it came.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
She didn't have to stop. She wasn't campaigning and wouldn't have to for another 3 years. Hillary was already running late. There was probably a speech to give and some would say, more important people than us waiting on her. There are those who are not fans of Secretary Clinton who insist that she is some sort of conniving, narcissistic, elitist. But that would be a pretty hard sell to Jennie and I. You either like people or you don't. I guess it is possible to fake it, but she felt like a very sincere and warm person in the very brief time we met her. I will not hesitate to vote for this woman and I will always treasure our short brush with history and hope to see a President Hillary Clinton.
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| Side Note: This is the days of film. Going to Wal-Mart to pick up the pictures the girl working the photo center tells the guy in front of us that the machine malfunctioned and destroyed his film and all pictures. We thought we'd never get this picture, another failure under our belts. Through the fog of disappointment, as we stepped up to the counter, the Fates had shown sympathy and granted our film a safe travel through the developing machine. |
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