I’ve never had the opportunity to see a president in person, but I have had some other great experiences.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1990 for a 20th anniversary of Earth Day event in Atlanta. He got me so fired up I was halfway to the table for voter registration when I remembered that a) I was in a different county from where I lived and b) I was already registered to vote.
Hillary Clinton in 2008, Winston-Salem, at a rally for her first presidential run. Got interviewed by the local paper and a radio station because evidently my face is just too stunning for television. 🤷🏻♀️
And Congressman John Lewis in 2018 at the “Families Belong Together” rally in Atlanta. This was at the height of the immigration crisis with children being separated from their families. He was as amazing and inspiring as always, and is so very sorely missed.
I would love an opportunity to hear President Kamala Harris speak in person.
I also had the good fortune to tour the WH and see President and Mrs. Obama walk out to Marine One and take off—for me, a once-in-a-lifetime thrill! I also got to shake their hands and get a photo with them at a WH Christmas party (okay, twice in a lifetime!); ditto with Vice President Harris last year. I keep thinking how thrilled my late Dad would have been, he who took us to see Bill Clinton drive quickly by in a nearby town one freezing winter day during his presidency. He taught us to revere the presidency, which is indeed larger than life, or it was before Trump shriveled it up some.
My earliest memory is seeing a president. When I was 3 my parents took me to our local airport in Alabama where Jimmy Carter was flying out during the 1980 campaign. I can just remember being in a big crowd of people and a man standing and waving at the top of stairs in front of an airplane door.
I saw Obama speak once live while he was president and it was fantastic. I saw Jimmy Carter speak in 1993, I think. And I saw Al Gore at our local library talking to a crowd of maybe 50 people when he was vice president. That last one was weird because he was on crutches and I realized how little news the VP made because I had no idea he had knee surgery.
In 2008, I missed the opportunity to meet Biden and to this day it's one of my biggest regrets. My husband volunteered for Chris Dodd 's presidential run and the two Senators traveled and had events together. I spent a whole rally trying to find the courage to talk to Uncle Joe but my two toddlers had covered me in Dodd stickers and I was exhausted from entertaining them at a very long event. The Biden of 16 years ago was charming, quick witted, engaging and so comfortable with a barn full of farmers. Yeah, I'm from Iowa. Watching Biden now, I wish I would have peeled off the stickers/ toddlers to shake his hand.
I’ve never had the opportunity to see a president in person, but I have had some other great experiences.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1990 for a 20th anniversary of Earth Day event in Atlanta. He got me so fired up I was halfway to the table for voter registration when I remembered that a) I was in a different county from where I lived and b) I was already registered to vote.
Hillary Clinton in 2008, Winston-Salem, at a rally for her first presidential run. Got interviewed by the local paper and a radio station because evidently my face is just too stunning for television. 🤷🏻♀️
And Congressman John Lewis in 2018 at the “Families Belong Together” rally in Atlanta. This was at the height of the immigration crisis with children being separated from their families. He was as amazing and inspiring as always, and is so very sorely missed.
I would love an opportunity to hear President Kamala Harris speak in person.
I saw Kennedy.
Driving by in a convertible.
Won’t see that again…..
Napping. Yes.
I also had the good fortune to tour the WH and see President and Mrs. Obama walk out to Marine One and take off—for me, a once-in-a-lifetime thrill! I also got to shake their hands and get a photo with them at a WH Christmas party (okay, twice in a lifetime!); ditto with Vice President Harris last year. I keep thinking how thrilled my late Dad would have been, he who took us to see Bill Clinton drive quickly by in a nearby town one freezing winter day during his presidency. He taught us to revere the presidency, which is indeed larger than life, or it was before Trump shriveled it up some.
My earliest memory is seeing a president. When I was 3 my parents took me to our local airport in Alabama where Jimmy Carter was flying out during the 1980 campaign. I can just remember being in a big crowd of people and a man standing and waving at the top of stairs in front of an airplane door.
That's really cool. Oddly, one of my earliest memories is also seeing a president, but on television. Gerald Ford.
I saw Obama speak once live while he was president and it was fantastic. I saw Jimmy Carter speak in 1993, I think. And I saw Al Gore at our local library talking to a crowd of maybe 50 people when he was vice president. That last one was weird because he was on crutches and I realized how little news the VP made because I had no idea he had knee surgery.
I gave a massage to Al Gore. Great guy !
I just envisioned each of your words. Thank you for this post.
In 2008, I missed the opportunity to meet Biden and to this day it's one of my biggest regrets. My husband volunteered for Chris Dodd 's presidential run and the two Senators traveled and had events together. I spent a whole rally trying to find the courage to talk to Uncle Joe but my two toddlers had covered me in Dodd stickers and I was exhausted from entertaining them at a very long event. The Biden of 16 years ago was charming, quick witted, engaging and so comfortable with a barn full of farmers. Yeah, I'm from Iowa. Watching Biden now, I wish I would have peeled off the stickers/ toddlers to shake his hand.