Meeting Robert Gibbs and V-Day in Chi-town...



Natalie and I (this is JT writing) are in Chicago for her to take her Step 2 C.S. Exam (part of her boards examination process). We are visiting with our good friends Jason and Lisa (who are in med school with Natalie). Being in Chicago makes us REALLY miss living in NYC. The test that Natalie takes on Tuesday consists of her seeing fake patients for 9 hours. Please keep her in your prayers. Last night, the four of us went to a Valentine's dinner at the Landmark Grill in Chicago.

I have a random story that, if you know me, will thoroughly enjoy. We were in the Water Tower Place which is a popular mall in the Loop in Chicago. Nat and Lisa were trying clothes on at Banana Republic. As we were preparing to leave, I noticed a person out of the corner of my eye and realized it was Robert Gibbs. He is President Obama's Press Secretary. Gibbs is the unfortunate soul who holds the press conferences and gets hammered by reporters for not answering questions properly. Being the political junkie that I am, I had to meet him. He did not have Secret Service with him because only really weird losers like myself would recognize him. Nat and Jason were embarassed and quickly left the store. Lisa hung with me to snap the picture. Here is how the exchange went:

JT: Excuse me. Are you Robert Gibbs?
Robert Gibbs: Yes I am.
JT: It is an honor to meet you. I saw you and the President were in town this weekend. Are you enjoying your time off?
RG: Yes. This is actually the first full weekend I have had off in over two years.
JT: So, how crazy is your schedule right now?
RG: I thought it was nuts during the campaign. Then, we got put in charge of the country and it got really busy.
JT: Well good luck. If you could please give the President a message for me. Tell him I am praying for him everyday and we are all rooting for him to succeed.
RG: I sure will. Good luck.

I will take this opportunity to get on my political soap-box for a moment. While I did not vote for or agree on many things politically with Pres. Obama, I sincerely hope he succeeds. As Natalie and I watched the election returns on November 4th and it became apparent that Sen. Obama would be our next president, I vividly remember turning to Natalie and say: "I promise to you that I will pray for him everyday for the next 4 years." Our country is in a tough way. I believe that Pres. Obama is a once-in-a-lifetime transformational leader, much like FDR, Kennedy, MLK, and Reagan. He can lift this country from the political malaise (sorry Jimmy Carter) that we have drifted into. I believe him to be a very decent man who wants the U.S. to prosper just as much as you or I. I just disagree in the manner in which he intends to take us there- both economically and socially. However, I believe it is incumbent upon every American to rally behind their leader and genuinely want the best for that person and their situation. I am fascinated by the story that is Barack Obama. Can you imagine if someone would have told my grandmother just 40 years ago that she would live to see an African-American president? She probably would have bet her last dollar against that. This is the shining example of the greatness that is America. Our country has never been perfect. In fact, we make as many mistakes as most countries- just look at our treatment of Native Americans, injustice towards Afican-Americans, supressing women's ability to vote, the prosecution of the Vietnam and Iraq War, and the gross mis-management of tax-payers hard earned money. What separates America from other countries is our ability to evolve and sense our mistakes and make up for them. I love the fact that my children will be the first generation to truly grow up in a colorless society. Barack Obama has shattered the myth that you must be white and rich to accomplish things at the highest levels in America.