Laura Bush and ME! 

Today was the 9th annual Methodist Healthcare Foundation's Cancer Center Luncheon.  My company partners with the Methodist hospital system and was a Silver sponsor of the event.  Former First Lady Laura Bush was the featured speaker.  I love Laura Bush.  She is so classy and poised.  I was thrilled to death and giddy as a school girl to meet her.  You see celebrities often in LA, so it's not like I've never seen famous people.  But this was a super famous person, and one whom I respect. 

My co-worker and I had not anticipated arriving early enough to attend the reception beforehand, but it turned out that we had some extra time.  Our names were not on the list for the reception, so we thought it would be a long shot to get in because it was private.  But I've done this before. :)  It's all in your confidence.  I simply told the check point that we were with C---- and named a others from our team who were there without giving a shadow of doubt that we should have been on the list, too.  They let us right in.  I was shocked that security was so lax.  There were Secret Service everywhere, but no security line, no bag checks, etc.  (I asked Secret Service about that later and they explained that the hotel had not made proper arrangements and the SS was very unhappy.) We went into this little room and there she was. Just milling about from person to person smiling, talking, taking pictures.  My co-worker and I were seriously like little schoolgirls.  We walked right up near her and she saw us and started talking to us and offered to take a picture with us. Laura Bush is beautiful in person.  I mean really.  Possible work done, maybe a little botox, but beautiful.  Picture with Laura B., and my day was made. :)

As the featured speaker, she was great: funny, charming, sweet, and so NORMAL. She shared about her family, her life outside the white house and her current projects. The room was absolutely silent as she shared where she was and how she learned about the towers going down on 9/11. It was incredible to hear her describe that awful event from the perspective of the one who would command its response. She seriously seems like a completely normal woman who happens to live an extra-ordinary life. 

Once in a lifetime experience possibly, and I reveled in every minute!