Yesterday and Today : Native has her hand kissed by the former U.S. president
Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
How do I move from childhood memories to today's politics and some personal satirical remarks ?
My earliest memories of any political interest in the Pitts household are some comments from my dad about Huey P. Long. That must have occurred when Long was assassinated in 1935. I do not remember what Dad said, but I remember that he was sitting on the front porch of the house at the Brown place. I think that I remember because we had our own Hugh whom we often called Huey. Then a few years later, I remember the political arguments between Dad and Bill Woods over the 1940 Roosevelt vs. Wilkie presidential election. I must have always been a bit of a political animal.
And so I am going to segue into May of 2008 the Democratic Primary in Indiana and my little personal escapade. For the first time in 40 years, Indiana has had some attention from the presidential candidates - Bill and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are all making personal appearances in Indianapolis in a three-day time slot. So I must go - first to hear Bill Clinton. And then follow that with a trip to hear Hillary. My daughters would take me. I missed the Obama rally only because I did not know about it time to make the arrangements. McCain did not honor us Hoosiers with his presence.
Since I am still rather unsteady on my feet, we made the wise decision to borrow the neighbor's wheelchair. A wise decision, indeed ! That wheelchair got me and an attending daughter up to the guard rails at both rallies. (Have a wheel chair ? Don't leave home without it !) Bill was speaking at a middle school gymnasium. The rally where Hillary was speaking was at a state park.
There was a long wait before we were allowed to go into the gymnasium. But one pleasant side benefit was that I met a teacher who came here from Clinton, Ark. We soon found that we had friends in common.
So there I was at the gymnasium dressed in my very best casual outfit. My - from the thrift store purple trousers - a white turtle neck shirt, quilted silk jacket and pink trimmed and with huge pink laces, black patent and suede lift sneakers. I had my Clinton book in a book bag in my lap - with the spine title showing. We were about eight feet from the podium and about eight feet back.
When Bill came to the podium it would have been hard to tell if my grin / smile was my own or a reflection of his smile. Almost immediately he looked my way, widened his smile, stooped his shoulders a little in a salute to my wheelchair and waved to me. I thought he was recognizing another Arkansan but maybe he was saluting the book. The folks around me gave a proper "Ahhhhhhhh !"for the little old lady.
After his speech, he made his way around the guard rail shaking hands with every one but mine was the only hand that he lifted for a kiss. Me - a nobody from Garfield got her hand kissed by a former president of the United States. We had a twosentence conversation about our mutual love for Arkansas. He asked if I wanted him to sign my book. I did ! He did !
Now for the puzzler. I plan to give the book to my youngest grandson. But what am I going to do with my hand ?
Seriously, I have taken it upon myself to nag a few acquaintances to get themselves registered to vote in the general election. I hope that they will vote for their choice be it Hillary, Obama or McCain.
Editor's note: Helen Pitts Arnn, the sister of long-time TIMES columnist Joe "Pea Patch"Pitts, writes her recollections of growing up in the Pea Ridge / Garfield area.
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