Sometimes in our ordinary lives, we find ourselves in extraordinary situations. If you're reading this, the thing you should know about me is that I'm just your average military spouse, going through life as the wife of an Army Major, with three great kids, living in Virginia...for now, until the next move (which could be back to the northwest if Rebecca has it her way)! Rebecca is a dear friend of mine and she offered me a place to blog since I closed up shop on my own blog a few months ago.So here goes....
My husband Jim and I came to Virginia with our three children, because he got picked up to do an Army fellowship in the Senate. He interviewed with, and got hired by Hillary Clinton's staff and started work in her office a few weeks ago. To our surprise, we were invited to her holiday party. It was an event we couldn't pass up and so we asked a couple of friends to watch the kids for the evening and they happily accepted.
Jim was at work at the Capitol on Thursday so I took the metro down to meet him. It was about an hour ride. He picked me up when I made it into Union Station and then we headed to the Clinton's. Traffic was crazy and it was pouring rain all day. When we arrived, the vallet service took the car and a butler greeted us at the door. We walked into a beautiful, soft-lit home, with piano music playing and people laughing and talking. Pretty little appetizers were being served on silver trays...wine was being poured for the taking...there was a special buzz in the air. The Senator was in her living room chatting with guests and within about ten minutes, we had the opportunity to talk with her. She was surprisingly casual and very warm. We talked with her about her new position, about Ft. Drum and about military issues. She was very gracious and kind. She looked very pretty...she stood close...and she made us feel like we were the only ones in the room.
Throughout the evening we talked with some of the people Jim has been working with in her office. We walked though their home, admiring lots of photographs of her with her daughter, and her husband. Professional and candid black and white photos hung on the walls, as well as beautiful original artwork in gold frames. Windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling along the back of the house, tables held one-of-a-kind glass artwork, and library books lined shelves built into the walls. Everyone seemed happy and I think everyone felt special being there.
Out of nowhere, Bill Clinton appeared in the foyer. He arrived home from a trip and was greeted by guests immediately. I looked towards the door and almost had to pinch myself. We continued to soak it all in and knew that at some point we'd like to go and meet him. We got that chance before the end of the night, after waiting patiently, listening to him talk with other guests.
He, my husband, and I talked about the Clinton Global Initiative meeting and his partnership with Lance Armstrong. I mentioned the fundraising rides I participated in with the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 2003 and 2008...and just told him he did a great job putting the whole thing together. (You can look it up online I'm sure. Queen Noor of Jordan and Al Gore were other participants). He said that we wouldn't believe it, but that he was having dinner with Lance tomorrow at his home in Austin to discuss their work together. He offered to pass Lance a note for me, but in my shock, I just asked him to tell Lance that Angie says hello!
We left shortly after that and it was just an amazing evening. I left thinking that...in this life...anything is possible...we never know what's around the corner. I felt so lucky. I mean, how does an average girl from Kansas, married to a guy in the Army, end up at the home of the Senator of New York/soon-to-be Secretary of State and the former President of the United States! It somehow lifted away something from all of those deployments. I felt like Hillary Clinton was looking at me, knowing how much we had gone through, as a military family, and that she knew the level of dedication that my husband had for his country. I felt respected by her somehow. It was an awesome feeling. I thanked my husband for taking me with him and he told me there was nobody else he would have wanted to be there with.
So, at the end of the night, they pulled the car up and we got in and headed home. What a night...what a fun night!
Sometimes in our ordinary lives, we find ourselves in extraordinary situations. Yours could be just around the corner!
~Angie
