Tuesday at the White Home
I went to the White Property Tuesday for the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony honoring 15 men and women, from Warren Buffet to George Herbert Walker Bush; from Stan Musial to Bill Russell; from Maya Angelou to YoYo Ma.
I was not the only individual from San Diego present. Murray and Elaine Galinson have been also invited. The "why" of their invitation was unknown to them, but I suspect their standing as two of our town's leading Democrats and big contributors to charitable and political causes, was a aspect. In my case a 40year friendship with among the president's major advisers was the "why" of my being there; that, and his understanding I'm a lifelong fan on the greatest St. Louis Cardinal ever Stan Musial.
(Prior to flying to Washington Monday,Cheap Ray Bans, Elaine Galinson had an intriguing expertise with TSA at the airport San Diego. She went by way of the screening machine but was asked nonetheless to step aside for a additional search (what more could they have been in need of?). She asked why? She was told they necessary to "pat down her hair." Elaine's a really appealing woman, but a huge hair individual she's not. It really is a funny story and Elaine tells it with amusement, but the "hair pat down" was absurd.)
The Galinsons and I arrived at the "extended" East Gate on the White Home on Tuesday at higher noon. The invitation from President and Mrs. Obama read "twelvethirty o'clock", but we had been advised arriving early was prudent. The secret Service checked our ID's and we created our way past the initial "check point." There was a second just before you enter the White Property. Marine Band was playing, and sparkling water, white wine and champagne was getting served (I went with all the sparkling water).
Though I was not among them, there had been lots of really important men and women at the reception. Murray kept saying to me, "That individual looks like someone." Which brought on me to wonder, "Does everyone assume we appear like 'someone?'" In Murray's behalf I'd ask, "Are you an individual?" And certainly, those someones confirmed they had been someone. Tremendously Reassuring.
Among the someones I spoke to have been Joe Morgan, who, like Musial,Ray Ban Sunglasses, is within the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with the Cleveland Brown's Jim Brown, who some deem the greatest running back inside the history of your National Football League. Each Morgan and Brown have been guests of Bill Russell, one of several Medal of Freedom honorees, and on the list of most dominant players ever in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as 10 titles in 12 years with the Boston Celtics would suggest.
And why had Russell requested Morgan and Brown be invited? Considering that he knew that they, like him,Ray Ban UK, had suffered the indignities of racial discrimination; and, like him,Ray Ban Wayfarer, had survived with no ever losing either their dignity or their identities. No tiny factor, given that no white particular person can ever know what it is like to be an individual of color in the USA.
I also spoke to a gentleman in a wheel chair. His name is Guy Johnson, Maya Angelou's son, he stated. I knew from reading his mother's autobiography that when she was a young woman struggling to survive in San Diego she gave birth to a boy; Guy Johnson is that boy. I asked he and his wife, Stefanie, where do you reside? "Oakland," he mentioned. "Ah, Oakland," I stated, "the location made famous by Gertrude Stein's remark, 'There is no there.'"
But he disagreed with all the celebrated girls of letters, saying there is a "there" in Oakland, and he pointedly mentioned, Gertrude Stein misused the preposition "there.'" That was wonderfully amusing to me. I told him I usually make use of the quote,Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses, but nobody ahead of had recommended Ms. Later, in the East Space, whilst waiting for the ceremony to start, Stern, sitting behind me, tapped me around the shoulder and asked, "How did Stein misuse the preposition?" I promised Stern I'd verify with Johnson to see how Stein had erred inside a basic rule of grammar. I would do that, naturally,Ray Ban Jackie Ohh, considering I had no clue, but then neither did Stern about Stein.
When the ceremony was over I told Johnson the commissioner of the NBA wanted to know how "there" was misused? He stated, "Because you cannot define a preposition with a preposition." By then Stern had left but I referred to as the NBA office in New York the next day and left Guy Johnson's answer together with the commissioner's secretary.
I had a likelihood to say hello to George Herbert Walker Bush, our 41st president. Through the Gulf War my brother Dan and I, in conjunction with the founder on the New York City Marathon,Ray Ban Clubmaster Sizes, Fred Lebow, had been to the White Home with Senator Alan Simpson, a close pal with the president's. We spent about 15 minutes in the Oval office and I thought then, and now, President Bush 41 is definitely an extraordinarily decent man (a view held by nearly everybody, except the haters amongst us, not all of whom are around the best). It was shocking and upsetting to find out him inside a wheel chair. To witness this essential human being, who jumped out of an airplane on his 85th birthday, so confined, was a sad reminder it could come to any individual I just hate that it has occurred to him.
YoYo Ma, the brilliant cellist, was also honored Tuesday by the President Obama, who spoke not alone of Ma's superb artistry but also of his wholly engaging persona. We saw that immediately after the ceremony when Ma borrowed a cello from a Marine band member and played a beautiful song with other Marines. The president, who was about to depart the reception, took note of Ma's playing and walked over to listen.
When Ma finished everybody applauded and also the president turned to leave. Given that Murray, Elaine, and I were standing behind the president we greeted him. "Mr. President, I'm George Mitrovich, from San Diego, and it's an honor to meet you." He stated, "George, I'm pleased to meet you." He then greeted the Galinsons, who had met him before. I then mentioned, "Mr. President, I have 1 question. When Vice President Biden was in San Diego twoyears ago I gave him an authentic 1959 Chicago White Sox replica jacket and asked if he would hand delivered it to you." The president, a massive White Sox fan, confirmed the delivery of your jacket.
Oh, I began by affirming Stan Musial as my baseball hero; so let me finish with this:
Mainly because Ted Williams was born in San Diego, played ball at Hoover Higher and with all the Pacific Coast League Padres ahead of joining the Red Sox in '39, it is generally assumed Teddy Ballgame is each and every young San Diego boy's baseball idol. Perhaps, but in individual esteem Musial has usually been my favorite player. And in the White Property Tuesday, I had the chance to inform him the first time I saw him play in person was Friday, April 25, 1958, when the Cardinals came to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers. The Cardinals won 53 and Musial was 44, having a double and 3 singles. What extra could you need from your baseball hero?
I then told Musial I located the box score on the game on the internet and printed it up on high high-quality photographic paper, which I carry with me everywhere I go. I'm not confident it resonated with Stan the Man, as he's famously known, but his daughters standing nearby, loved the story.
A magnificent day at the White Residence was drawing to a close; it was time to leave. But just before leaving I asked the Marine band if they knew the Notre Dame fight song? They looked at one particular a different in puzzlement, but then the cellist started playing, "Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame."
I may well in no way get back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for such an occasion, but if this was the 1 and only time for such a grand ceremony, the memories of Tuesday, February 15, 2011, are going to be treasured until the moment I draw my last breath.
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