Bill Clinton Touched Me
On May 5th 2008 at approximately 11:40pm Former President William Jefferson Clinton touched me. He reached right out and shook my hand. Can you imagine that? Little old nobody me actually shook hands with greatness.
Initially, I wasn't even tempted to fight my way into the swarming crowd of people attending the Hillary campaign rally.
Being a mild-mannered personality, I was completely satisfied just to be able to see the man in person, to stand within 20 yards of him, to hear him speak - but something my eighteen-year-old son said to me prompted my action, forced my will, enabled me to tempt fate and jump into the masses to grab my chance.
What are the Chances?
Politics Aside
Bill Clinton was appearing at the Raleigh, North Carolina - Hillary for President Headquarters to thank the volunteers and to encourage everyone to vote in the May 6 primary.
We waited for his arrival for hours listening to various speakers including a man who had been trapped beneath the World Trade Center on 9/11 and a campaign spokesperson who joked about the fact that Bill was probably late because he was shaking hands with people at his previous engagement.
Ours was his 9th stop of the day.
Campaign headquarters were being held in what used to be a warehouse. Bill's "stage" was set up in the loading dock area behind the building and was fashioned in the bed of an old pick up truck parked at the end of a ramp. We in the audience stood behind three foot metal fencing.
Have You Ever . . .
Reach Out and Touch Me
Out of the Mouths of Babes
You see, I thought an autograph would be a super memento of the occasion but that wasn't what my son was after.
At this point, Bill looked like he was preparing to leave. He walked back across the make-shift podium, back up the ramp, started waving goodbye and then the next thing we knew, he climbed over the railing and jumped down off the side of the walkway, chancing an almost 3 foot drop, just to have another go around with the crowd. Amazing!
My son leapt at this new opportunity and raced back to the front. This time he was successful. He returned in triumph and said:
"That man shook the hand of all of the most powerful people of our time and now he's shaken my hand too!"
Smart Boy
Bill Clinton had indeed shaken the hands of the most powerful people, the most famous leaders, the most important VIP's, and the most popular celebrities of our time.
What superior value could a slip of paper with a signature on it hold over such a strong connection to the world as we know it.
Before my mind could finish visualizing this concept I threw caution to the wind and dashed into the crowd myself. If you knew me for even a short time, you'd know that this is completely out of my usual meek character.
Suddenly I was being crushed. He was nearby. I felt like I couldn't breath. He was moving closer. I reached out my hand. He was right there. It was now or never. He was right in front of me. I threw myself into it. (Richard Reed of the Fabulous Four couldn't have been more flexible.)
And then - I felt it. He grasped my hand. I closed my fingers around his, looked into his eyes and in that instant, just like my son, I was connecting with world history and all of the people Bill Clinton had ever met.
In that instant, I had moved my 6 Degrees closer to more people and more history than I could ever imagine.
Pretty impressive, huh?
Shaking Hands with Greatness
Have You Ever . . .
The Hand That Touched The Hand . . .
Unforgetable
I know I'll never forget that handshake. Tell me about the most important handshake you've ever received. From who did you receive it and how did it make you feel?
#5
Bob Kerrey - D Nebraska
Sen. Kerrey has served a number of roles for the S more...0 points
#6
Prince Felipe of Spain
He was attending graduate school at Georgetown whi more...0 points
I Want to Hold Your Hand
What Does Your Handshake Say About you?
- Hand Shake, How To and Meanings of Different Types of Handshake
- A hand shake can have an implied psychological meanings. Learn the meanings, how to, how long and when to shake hands.
- Handshaking: Do you know what your handshake says about you?
- In social and work settings, touching plays a very important role. One of forms of touching in North American and European countries is handshake. Do you know what your handshake says about you? Handshaking: Do you know what your handshake says about you?.
- What Your Handshake Says About You - BusinessWeek
- Rules for meeting and greeting
Guestbook
Thank you for visiting, letting me share my story, and for participating in the polls. Feel free to leave any and all comments here.
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Marelisa
I'm lensrolling you to my "100 things to do before you die lens". Life is about taking chances! Posted May 08, 2008 |
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beeobrien
That's terrific! Posted May 07, 2008 |
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Susan52
That is a great story, Robin, and a great lesson. I saw Air Force One up close once and that was a very inspiring brush with history, but certainly this far surpasses that. Congratulations! Posted May 07, 2008 |
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CrypticFragments
great story rms!!! great lens for these times... Posted May 07, 2008 |
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GypsyPirate
This is a great story. I am so proud of you for acting outside your "norm", and equally proud of your son for being the catalyst to help you do it. Thanks for sharing this. Posted May 07, 2008 |
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blondeheroine
Congratualations! Love Bill. :) Posted May 07, 2008 |
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gurneywagon
Kudos to you for spreading your wings! Aren't kids a marvelous inspiration? Thanks for sharing! Posted May 07, 2008 |
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katiyanascollectibles
Awesome story! And a memory your son will have for the rest of his life! Posted May 06, 2008 |
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Gordon_H
I'm glad you managed to have such an experience. I can relate to it from when I met Margaret Thatcher. Posted May 06, 2008 |
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bdkz
That is too cool! Posted May 06, 2008 |
Photography Credits
- Hot Springs - President Bill Clinton's home town
- Shaking Hands with Greatness - Reach Out and Touch Me were found here:
Family attractions in Hot Springs - baths and spas, tours of the city and area lakes, golf, shopping, art galleries, magic shows, animal shows, parks and rides, riverboat rides, horse back riding, horse racing, hiking, alligator farm, wax museum, boating - Public Domain: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton by White House Photographer, 1978 (NARA) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
- This image is believed to be in the public domain and is from the National Archives. More information may be found below. Search or Contact the National Archives. _______________________ All images from the National Archives posted on this site should be "unrestricted", according to NAR
- Bill Clinton on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
- What are the Chances? Bill Clinton came to Corpus for a Vote Early rally for Hillary. Here are loads of shots from the rally. Straight from the camera and totally unsorted, these are being uploaded fast to allow people to see themselves and thier friends. As always, these photos are under a Creative Commons Attribution S
- Former President Bill Clinton on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
- I Want to Hold Your Hand Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone.
