***Thanks so much for first time on Rec List!.***
And there you sit. In the company of decent people. Amongst people of service. Amongst couples with messy, fraught unions who prevailed nonetheless. There you sit. Alternately as the arrogant and hated teenager you were and now as the clueless, uneasy man in the pew with those you will never understand. I wonder about the thoughts swirling in your head — thoughts ranging from “how much longer” to “why can’t I feel what they feel” and “what are they talking about.” The nagging thought that you will never be able to touch it. Words like “resolute,” “leadership,” and “courage” escaping you as mere elements of any eulogy. No way to engage with the tributes to a President and patriot. Your presence, ever petulant and out of place, all the more glaring today.
George HW Bush graciously decided to include you in the proceedings as he planned this most momentous day of his life. An act of grace, but also a final act of courage as he invited all of us to bear witness to the contrast against those who can hold their heads high and did their best and those who sit uneasy and unknowing next to them.