I’d mentioned that some people were practicing while in line what they wanted to say to her. So some people have asked what I wanted to say her.
If I was going to say anything, I would say, “thank you so much for sacrificing your whole life for all of us. And thank you for being a strong woman who fights so that I – and all the other women I know – can have opportunities that you didn’t. I’m sorry for how often you’ve been treated poorly, and I appreciate your sacrifices for us.”
And I’m sure that would’ve been great to tell her.
What I actually told her was nothing. I didn’t say anything at all. I’m not totally sure why. I think there was part of me that thought she must have been tired of being fawned over all day long. Although really, that’s such a silly thing to think, right? Who would possibly get tired of people loving them all day long? So, that was silly.
And really, I think that was the main reason – that, and that none of us could figure out what to call her. Nothing seemed right. Everything seemed too formal or not formal enough. And all any of us really wanted to call her was Madam President.
I will also say there was some fear on my part. I was so distracted about trying not to turn the camera in my pocket off, and trying not to get tackled by Secret Service Agents for having my phone stealthy taping that my mind was all wrapped up in that – instead of in the moment. Admittedly, that’s kind of lame of me – to care so much about a picture that I let the actual cool moment slip away. I mean, I experienced it, but obviously my head was sort of all over the place a bit.
That all sort of leads into the next questions I get sometimes – was spending a total of a little over 8 hours of my day at the grove to meet her for a handful of seconds worth it? And do I wish I would’ve really said something to her (other than thanking her for complimenting my jacket)?
I don’t regret not saying anything to her. She knows I love her. I waited that long in line. There’s no question that I think she’s a total rockstar. And she heard so many compliments throughout the day, I’m sure she’s fine. Not to mention she’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever seen. So, while I’m sure she still needs validation, as we all do sometimes, I bet she gets by with less than the rest of us.
As far as whether the 8 hours was worth it, yes. It totally was. For one thing, I absolutely love events where people all wait for something they really care about. You get to meet cool people and it builds an interesting sense of camaraderie. For another, she’s Hillary Clinton! Even a handful of seconds with her are worth a day. What was I really going to do with those 8 hours anyway? Nothing more important than meeting her.
Plus, since she complimented that jacket, I already know what to wear when I interview to be on her staff at some point later in my life. 😉