My son and I met Bill Clinton (wearing pink gym shorts) in the park across from the WH
Last edited Tue Jul 26, 2016, 10:48 PM - Edit history (2)
It was the summer before his first presidential election and then-Gov. Clinton was jogging around the White House with a crowd of politicos and friends wearing hot pink gym shorts over his jogging pants.
I had taken my young son to see and meet him at an event across from the WH and we watched him jog by with the group and waited for him to arrive sitting in front of the stage where he was to speak.
He finally ended the run and we could see Bill toweling off in a small tent-like enclosure they'd set up for him. He quickly recovered from the run and bounded up on the stage like a teenager. He gave a short speech which was well received by the hundred of so gathered there, then, he came down off the stage to shake hands. We were in the front row and we were both excited to see Bill making his way down the line.
When he got to us, he paused for a moment and looked at us with that deep stare with his mouth slightly open as if about to express some surprise or greeting. I remember him taking both my hand and my son's together in his own two and holding them there for a long moment which has lasted in my memory all of these years since. His hands were large and puffy and they were surprisingly soft for such an imposing man.
After that amazing encounter, we followed him in circles around the park as he greeted people until my son was close enough to call out his name and hand him a campaign pamphlet for him to sign. "Bill . . . Bill," my son called out to him.
"Say Governor," I counseled him. He did, and Gov. Clinton looked up, took his flier and signed it for him.
We left after that. I was a hero for actually getting my politically minded ten year-old close enough to meet the man who was going to take on our nemesis Bush and win. It was a special day, and a special encounter with someone who I'll be eternally grateful to for his courtesy and kindness in acknowledging us, and for his subsequent victory in ending the Bush presidency. It's basically a love story, a love affair, as shallow as it may be, that has really never ended for me or my son.
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...in the super SHORT shorts? 
TYY
Those big long "Hammer style" shorts only came into fashion later!
Yung Spiff x Bill Clinton- Change Quick Like The Weather
"He gave a short speech"
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You're shaking this guy's "head".
Bigtree. . .it was raining when we got there. I'd hustled my son out of the house early so that we'd get a good spot, but it was pouring when we got there, so, we took shelter under one of the closed kiosks and shared the narrow space with a small group of homeless men.
After a few quiet minutes, a few of the fellows began an incredible and revealing dialogue which provided my son a stark picture of what living on D.C.'s streets was like for them; much more vivid and real than I could have ever expressed to him, even though I'd spent many a night rambling around Georgetown with independent folks like these in my youth.
The conversation contained gems like the exchange about getting arrested because a fellow hadn't had a decent meal for days with several others chiming in to add their own mildly lurid tale. It was certainly a surreal and satisfying experience for the two of us, together with the event at hand. Wish you could have been there, madokie!
