He called me "Cuz"

It is true.

The 44th President of the United States of America,

Barack Hussein Obama,

in a 4 handed hand shake

with me

(my two hands with his two hands)

said, we could be cousins.

The President
 in New Mexico.

In 2012,
3 big things happened to me.
As y'all know,
I lost my mom,
I became a Grandmother,
and
 I met and talked to President Obama.
What a year.

Who would have ever thought

that in the middle of the desert

in the cold wind and blowing sand

that I would get to meet and speak to 

"The President"

Yes

the real deal.
President Obama.

The most powerful man in the world.

Leader of the free world.

wow

Talk about star struck.

I almost forgot to tell him

we could be cousins.
It was the last thing I said to him.

He is very thin.

He looks so genuine and his eyes look right into yours.
He has no problem with eye contact.

He is real. He is himself. He is so regal.
He reeks of confidence and purpose.

He looked very tired.

How in the hell could he not be tired?

He is the President of these crazy United States.
My time with the President was brief,
but it will be with me forever.
That day itself, was very long and tiring.
Let me start at the beginning.

I have rarely missed voting since I turned 18.
I have never missed voting for President.
It is important to me.
I truly value the right to vote
 and value
 the people who have sacrificed and died
 giving me that right and protecting it.
The least I can do
is vote.

I pay attention to what is going on.
Back in 2008,
I volunteered for the Obama campaign
and had the time of my life in doing so.
I met some great people and made
many life-lasting friendships-
(you know who you are)
We volunteers had a blast, and
we won-
that always helps.
So it led me to being an officer for the local
county democratic party-
Lea County Democratic Party.
The local party its self has a rich history,
and I am glad to take my turn and do
 my duty.
When the call went out that
 The President
was going to visit the
 "oil field"
in Maljamar, New Mexico,
they ask for volunteers
to work the event.
Our county Chair-Chuck Whitley
called me and ask if I wanted to take part.
Well, yes, thank you!
There was some sort of back ground check
we had to call in and give our information to them.
We had several people drive from far away
counties in New Mexico
to volunteer.
I had no idea what the day would be like.
We all met at Chucks house about 8 am,
loaded up into 2 different cars
and took off for
the event site, which was about an hours drive.

Maljamar is a very small little town.

It may not be a town with traffic lights and stores,
but we still call it a town.
The event was taking place out
in the desert,
not far from Maljamar-
 on an
 oil and gas lease.
This particular spot was a few miles off the highway.
They had assembled chairs and barriers
along with the sound system
and
press area
 long before we got there.
It was like being at a concert before the sound check.
It was one of the best sound systems I have ever heard.
It is quite a team that sets up these events.
I was impressed.
The event itself was attended by about 200 people.
You had to be invited by the sponsor who was an oil company,
cant really remember which one,
so it was their baseball, their baseball game.
I was not there as a guest, but was an actual member of the
White House Staff,
for that day, or period of time.
"cool bone"

My clipboard.

I was thrilled just to be there!

The entire group of volunteers assemble together,

 to then be delegated different positions

that work different areas of the event. 

We divided up into several different jobs,

 and I think I got one of the best

as I was in charge of Media check in.

Everyone had to park their car in a big parking lot

and then get on one of four school busses and be driven over to the event site.

I took their name and made sure they were on a list I had.

It was quite an education for me.

There were reporters from 

everywhere!

They were very frustrated with the lack of cell phone coverage.

Welcome to my world!

ha

On the bus

Working boys

Security!!

They went out of sight!!

The crowd waiting for the president.

My new friend and I trying to stay warm.

Air Force One

 landed in Roswell, NM

and from there

the President took

Marine One

to Maljamar,

 then drove to the event site

 in a caravan.

It seemed the secret service just appeared 

out of nowhere.

It was so cool to see how things start moving very fast when 

The President

is arriving.

I had a great vantage point and got some great pictures!

I had to stay in the press area.

The President

President Obama!

It had warned up a little by the time 

President O started speaking.

The wind was really blowing!

The President gave a great speech

 as he usually does.

I had ask my supervisor if we would get to meet him,

and she said probably not,

and she said 

  I had to stay in the area that I was assigned to.

Ok.

dern it.

 As the President finished his speech,

I saw that he was going to shake hands with the ones on the

front row.

Great.

I am in the very back.

I couldn't have been further from the front row.

crap

I tried to get some pictures,

 and yes,

 I tried to cross thru the fence

 that was separating me from the front row.

  I was quickly told to stay behind this fence-

stay in your area!

ok!

 double crap

Well,

 I did

 stay behind that fence,

 but 

I just kept walking down it.

It came out at the very end of the front row.

I didn't realize that at first.

As I realized that President Obama was headed right to me

if he stayed on course,

I got my hopes up.

Closer and closer he got!

This is the last picture I got before he got to me.

I really wanted to enjoy the moment and be

present

so the pictures kinda stop.

I was the last person in the so called line.

I was still behind the fence.

As the President got closer,

a guy who was also a volunteer from

somewhere,

came up on the right side of me,

making himself the last person

 in the so called line.

He had a big camera and he

kinda just thru it on me and spewed an order at me-

"Here-take a picture of me and the President"

AAAA-EEEEEE!!

holy cow!

WHAT???

My hands are now full of this guys camera??

oh hell no!

"NO!"

"You take mine!"

meaning-take my picture with him

nimrod

I quickly put his camera back in his hands.

My camera was on a strap around my neck.

My hands were once again free!

And then the President did stay on course and

he looked right at me,

he reached out his right hand

 and shook my right hand,

and said 

"Hello"

I was so nervous.

I said

"Hello Mr President-thank you for all you do-

(I think I just jabbered kinda fast)

"you put up with so much sh--"

(yes- I almost said you put up with so much shit-

-which he does)

Thank goodness I caught myself.

lord have mercy 

"You put up with so much stuff,

thank you

 for all you have done"

I finally got it out.

He said to me,

"No

-thank you-

 you are really the ones

 that have done the hard work-

it all comes from you guys"

Our hands are still holding on and kinda moving.

"Oh well thank you " I said.

As he started to move on to the

 big camera guy beside me,

he is beginning to let go of my hand,

and I just couldn't let go-

there was something

 I had always had in my head

 I wanted to share with him

if I ever got the chance, 

and now

 here is my chance

 and I can't speak!!

AARRRGG!!

I want to hit myself in my face!!

Lord, think silly girl think!!!!

"OH-

 Mr.President

-my Mom is a Dunham-

-like your Mom-was-is a Dunham!"

As I said this,

I reached with my left hand

 and put it on top of our two right hands.

3 hander hand shake.

As he heard me, 

he quickly stepped back into our space

 and his eyes really lit up and he said

"really!?!-we could be cousins?"

"Yes-we could be!!" I replied.

"Our Mothers are both Dunhams"

As he spoke he put his left hand on mine- 

4 hander hand shake.

"Wow thats great!" he said.

He seemed so sincere and pleased.

We had a great,

 great,

 4 hander hand shake.

"Yes- Dorothy Dunham is my Moms name!"

"That is just great!" he said 

again

 and we kept the 4 hander going.

It was so cool,

I don't know how to convey it.

President Obama and I

finally

 let go

of 

"family time"

ha

and

 then he moved on to the big camera guy.

 I was on cloud nine.

I didn't take his picture again and I regret that.

The big camera guy was the last person President Obama

stopped for.

As he walked away, he got about 10 feet away from me,

and as he turned to go up the ramp to leave,

he turned back and looked right at me,

waved his hand at me,

and said

"Bye Cuz!"

oh lord

"BYE!!!!" I said 

and waved back!!

wow

did that just really happen???

YES it did!!

Too cool.

way too cool.

Big cool bone!

Caravan leaving the event

And then

it was all over.

Everyone got back on the busses and went on their way.

It was sundown before we all got finished with our duties.

It was a great experience

 and I am thrilled to have done it.

We piled back in the cars and drove back to 

Chucks house.

Everyone was thrilled that we got to experience this day.

We had a blast!

It is nice to think that someday I might find out for real

if President Obama and I are real cousins.

Whether or not we are,

I am happy to share just being an

"American"

with my new

" Cuz."

ma