Today’s post was going to be a geography lesson from the point of view of a New Yorker. Instead it’s going to be about meeting President Bill Clinton!
My parents, more specifically my mother, is involved with an organisation called People For the American Way, or as they like to call themselves, People For. They promote progressive, (no one apparently likes calling themselves liberal these days) politics and politicians. Last night was the 30th birthday celebration of the organisation and I tagged along to the cocktail party.
To set the scene, it was in this building on Central Park West and the beginning of the night started in an apartment on the 38th floor with views that are beyond words. We could see across the Park and well into Queens, and on the other side we could see well into Jersey. It was a view to make me change my mind about living in New York (if I could live in that flat!)
Anyway, from there, this ridiculous apartment building gets better. The cocktail party took place in the private courtyard with food and drink catered by the private chef. There was a fountain in the middle of the courtyard and what I thought was an illusion turned out to be a pool in the basement reflected through the glass floor of the fountain. Amidst all this opulence Alec Baldwin spoke about Occupy Wall Street and Norman Lear introduced…Mr. Bill Clinton.
Part of the introduction went something like, “to know him for four minutes is to love him,” and damn it is true. Whatever someone might say about his personal life, he is an incredibly charismatic man. He spoke eloquently about politics and American society about the importance of shared responsibility and lots of other things that my mind has now blanked on as I was so in awe! His soft twang hooked me in and then his ideas kept me there. Sigh…
I did get to shake the man’s hand and it was the perfect Goldilocks handshake. Not too firm, not too soft. I didn’t get the politician’s elbow grab, but he looked me straight in the eye when he shook my hand and I can safely say I had sweet dreams last night.
I leave tomorrow early morning for Austin and so, I will leave you with a very short geography lesson to ponder while I am in the air. This is a map of how New Yorker’s see the US. Enjoy!
