Ok so I got downtown to the Market area around 315. I decided to park in the Elmwood Park garage for simplicity's sake. I walked down to the Market area and had to weave my way around sidewalk and road closures to get to my reporting place. Once there, I got my volunteer tag and met Ryan, my captain. Ryan, myself and three others were responsible for the ADA visitors to the Rally. First we had to mark their rows so that no one would take their seats. Then we had to monitor our line for those without obvious disability and shuttle those folks across the street to the regular line. We were told not to let anyone in our line who didn't have a cane, a walker or wheelchair. Soon our line would be full and we could take no one else. After a while, we were able to escort the guests to their seats and make sure that they were situated. Another volunteer was a runner and went back and forth from Cornerstone restaurant with a water pitcher and water for the guests.
Before the event started we had to keep a 4 foot aisle between the ADA guests and the standing people. I suppose this is some sort of ADA regulation. I asked folks around me to back up and most obliged without complaint. The one person who seemed bothered by our request to move was a city councilman. His name shall remain absent from this blog. I got my head bit off by another voluteer who was felt ultraspecial I guess because he was helping said councilman. Whatever, I love how people are really important when it's convenient for them. Anyway, I quickly forgot about Councilman Twit and went back to talking to the ordinary people who were in attendance. I ended up going to get a roll of police tape and tied it from the fence to a trash can to remind people to keep the aisle open. For the most part it worked quite well. Not sure why no one else thought to do this.
People were generally receptive to what we asked them to do, and they were all very excited at the prospects of seeing President Clinton up close and personal. I took gobs of pictures on my camera and at times took some for a guest who was shorter than I. I pretty much had an unobstructed view the entire event. I think the funniest part was when Ryan came around to say that the standing visitors would be leaving first then the ADA folks. Once the President finished speaking and descended from the stage to meet the crowd, the organization of the event went to hell quickly. People pushed forward to meet him. The folks who stayed in the ADA section or waited it out just a bit got to meet him as well because before he left he doubled back down to their section. I must admit I stood on some chairs taking the pictures you see then I walked across a row so that I could have a chance to shake his hand. Which I did get to do. He was very cool and spoke to everyone as he went down the line. He had one of his secret service agents take his picture with one lady. I thought that was rather funny.
It was so cool to see him and even cooler to shake his hand! President Clinton does seem to enjoy speaking to crowds and seems to enjoy meeting people even more. I could care less about his personal indiscretions while he was in office. What is important to me and makes him a special person to me is that he helped this country tremendously. The economy was in a whole lot better shape under him. Unemployment rates were low. Programs like Welfare to Work encouraged people to get jobs in order to receive government assistance. College was affordable and made more so by the Hope Scholarship program that he started. He started initiatives to ensure children had access to healthcare and educational opportunities. The government seemed more responsible, more approachabl,e and we weren't fighting wars. His ability to communicate articulately is awesome. You didn't dread hearing him give a speech, you didn't dread knowing that he was interacting with leaders of foreign nations. There was hope with Clinton in office. Right now there is dispair with Bush. Yes I sound like a political ad, but that's because I'm tired of the 8 years of crap under W. I'm voting for Obama - I feel like he's got better ideas and he's got the energy and intelligence to make our country great again.
I'll step off my soapbox now. This blog will resume being a biking blog soon.
1 comment:
Wow. Excellent work. I'm proud to "know" you.
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