Reflections on a President

Yesterday's news of the death of President Gerald Ford brought back memories of meeting him back in '76. My family lived in a small North Carolina mountain town and I was just finishing junior high school. The biggest news in town for days was the visit by The President to the little grass airstrip a few miles out of town. Half of the town turned out that morning to greet Mr. Ford, only to find the day drizzly and the mountains fogged in. The question on all our minds was, "Will the President get here?" Word finally came that the President's plane was able to land in Asheville and he had started the helicopter trip to our town, only to find he couldn't get in because of the fog. But never fear, we were told. He was turning around in the chopper and would travel by motorcade to keep his date with us. After standing in the fog and drizzle for another couple of hours, we looked like a town full of drowned rats! The President's car finally arrived. The front door opened and out stepped a man who appeared to be Mr. Ford. The crowd began to cheer. The back door opened, out popped an agent and then, the real Mr. Ford climbed out of the car. The crowd went wild as he began to make his way down the line of my friends and neighbors waiting to shake his hand. As he stopped in front of me and took my hand, he looked me right in the eye and said, "Hello. How are you?" Such a gentle, yet strong man! He was one of the good guys!

I think the timing of Bob Woodward's release of his 2004 interview with the former President about the Iraq war does a disservice to Mr. Ford. He was such a decent man and deserves to have this week of remembrance. This revealing interview is important but it certainly could have waited until the former President was laid to rest!

That's the way I see it today in Shari's world...