So You Think You Can Be President, Who Doesn’t?
Since this is the first blog on my new site, people have suggested that I write about my vision of my new book, "So You Think You Can be President, Who Doesn’t." Unlike our first book, my writing partner and friend Clay Greager, who passed away last October, wouldn’t like that. He would say, hey girl, move on!
Truth is it isn’t easy without Clay. This book is a bit different; still political humor, but times have changed so much that there is a whole lot more.material. But Clay is in my head and with that.... Welcome to my new blog. It will be filled with great stories as well as commentary on the state of politics today. In 1963, while still in high school, a friend of mine asked a few of us if we would like to go to West Point as dates for some of the Cadets who were having a formal dance. Always being up for an adventure, I said, of course. There were four of us who agreed to do this. It was a Friday afternoon and the gala was on Saturday. The deal was that the military would pay for our rooms and we had to abide by the rules. Not easy for any of us.
We arrived late in the afternoon in time for Tea, and to meet our dates. Which we did almost immediately. There was no sister school for the academy so they often invited girls from local high schools.
The old memory is not so clear anymore but my date was Marshall Swartz, a nice Jewish boy from somewhere in Connecticut. The only other Cadet I remember was from somewhere in the South and his name was Will. Challenged by the idea that we had to behave, we tried to find something to do that we weren’t allowed to do. This was not to difficult. Will suggested they put two of us in laundry bags and sneak us into their barracks.
Obviously, it was impossible to be quiet, especially with all the other cadets laughing ostensibly to tears. When we escaped from the laundry bags we were at a loss for something to do. But Will decided a serenade was in order and proceeded to get his guitar for an unrehearsed hootenanny. (When was the last time you heard that word?)
Anyway, we were all singing and carrying on until Will decided to sing his favorite song. It was called “I Have Tears in My Ears From Lying on My Back and Singing About You.” By Homer and Jethro.
We eventually went back in the laundry bags and got all tidied up for dinner without the Cadets. There are very few memories that remained with me for so many years but that one was unforgettable, and additionally when we danced with the Cadets their gold buttons were very cold. Oh, and flirtation walk wasn’t quite as romantic as we all anticipated. There were numbers of more trips to the Point, but none quite as wonderful as Will’s serenade.
Iris