The President's Visit

Yesterday I saw the President. I arrived at Savannah Technical College around 9:30, had my ID checked, and was told where to park. Then we were told to wait in the parking lot until someone would tell us to make our way to the room. This being Savannah, of course no one followed these instructions and a crowd formed in front of the entrance to the auditorium almost immediately.

A lot of people knew one another so there was a community feeling to the crowd. The rains had stopped and we all inched closer to the entrance way. The Secret Service were still putting together the security clearance area which seemed funny as we had all been told to be there by 10:00 for a 12:30 speech. We were and they weren't ready.

So I ended up standing my my friend Bill Daniel and we chatted about health care, Memorial Health, and Union Mission. We cracked jokes and enjoyed the wait. Katherine Oxnard made her way in front of us and then decided that she was a member of the media after all and left us for the media area.

All of the members of the City Council stood to our left and Mayor pro tem Edna Jackson was worried that her newly replaced knees would set off the metal detector.

Soon some 19 year old kid with an ear piece stood on a chair and yelled for us to take a giant step backwards. We did and then one at a time we were processed, checked for bombs or weapons and then allowed inside.

The venue was small and there was still a couple of hours to wait. Bill and I took chairs and then everybody just worked the room. The crowd was a "Who's Who" of Savannah politicians, Georgia politicians and our local Congressmen. The City's education institutions were well represented as were the hospitals. There also seemed to just be a lot of common folks. Bill and I wondered how some folks were able to get their kids inside.

Then people began taking their seats. The Presidential seal was placed on the podium. The Governor took his seat only to be upstaged by the Mayor who took his seat afterwards working the entire room before be did so. People clapped.

Then a large crowd of media entered to join the already packed media section. Dr. Kathy Love, President of Savannah Tech entered, then there was music and an announcement and there was President Obama. He shook the hands of politicians and jumped with energy to his place on the stage.

And he spoke for almost 20 minutes and was funny and serious and Presidential. Flashes from cameras erupted throughout. I snapped pictures and posted them to Face Book and I emailed one to Julie.

And then, in what seemed like seconds, he was finished and he worked the room from one end to another. People pressed forward to shake his hand. Bill and I just stood there taking it all in.

Then I saw one African-American lady that I know shake his hand. When she turned around she held that hand in the other one, staring at it in awe, then her face crumbled and tears filled her eyes. And I saw just how much a President can mean to someone. There was a lot of that.

And then he was gone. No one was allowed to leave until the Presidential motorcade started moving so we all found other friends to talk to. Brynn Grant and I laughed that we have spent the last month trying to schedule time together and have yet to succeed.

Then we were let out around 1:15. "Back to work," someone said. "Back to the real world," said another.

As I drove away I saw the crowds of people who adore the President and the protesters who loathe him. I stopped for lunch in a deserted restaurant and listened to two waitresses talking to one another.

"You know, the President's visit is killng business. I haven't made anything today." So I left an extra large tip. For me. And for the President.