“The President’s On!!!”
I remember a famous comedian, Jeff Foxworthy, commenting on when he was a kid growing up they would yell, “The President’s On!!!” and how it interefered with that night’s regular programming. I must admit, I used to share that sentiment, however, now that I have seen George W. Bush speak in person, I regret not taking more time and pay more attention when he was on TV.
It was a real treat that he visited the Tall City on Tuesday. He even asked the pilot to fly over the crowd as he flew into Midland. You could feel the excitement and anticipation build once the crowd saw the plane fly overhead. Everyone was already excited about the opportunity to see the former President but you could sense that their patience was wearing a little thin. The gates opened at 2 and I was right there in the mix of it. Normally, I am NOT a crowd person but I put my phobia aside for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The local high school bands were playing for a bit. Then the crowd was entertained with mini-movie’s about George W. Bush. As the time grew closer to his arrival, we heard music from Lee Greenwood, The Gaitlin Brothers (sorry if I misspelled that), and Rodney Atkins (again, sorry if I misspelled his name).
We were all packed in there like sardines in a can. (For those who know me, know that I have a HARD time dealing with crowds and people being in my personal space) But I made it. No scars, just hurt toes because everyone kept stepping on them. I took pictures but unfortunately, the person in front of me was taller than me so most of my pictures are of the back of their head. There was NO moving to a better location because, again, we were packed in there. Everytime someone needed by, I am sure that I gave them a look like, “Where do you think I can move to get out of the way???”
After his speech, and I made my way back to my car, all traffic (motor & pedestrian) was stopped so that the former President’s motorcade could go by…. After waiting 30 minutes, the motorcade finally passed. It was really something to see! Mr. Bush was waving as he passed by where I was standing. Darn…I didn’t have my camera out…