Former First Lady Tells Bittersweet Memory

Companions come in many forms. Caring friends, fine animals, books...

Hope all of you enjoy this day with your favorite companion.

"I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude." ~Henry David Thoreau

Kindlee,

Nicely said indeed.  Enjoy your day.

On one hand, my first thought was 'okay, I get it-Michelle, know thy place'. It seems to be a sort of mixed message. Be a companion, be equal, but not TOO equal. Support, don't meddle. I'm going with the sidebars here, too. I think Michelle Obama will sort it all out for herself, and do just fine. She will write a new page in the history of great First Ladies. It would be interesting if, as the media bruits, Hillary is offered a Cabinet post. I'm thinking State, but who knows? Of course, the Big News is the First Dog. Media hyperventilates over the strangest things. I'm absolutely sure that there will be some really interesting conversations in the presidential bedroom. Let's hope we never know about those.

I was reading an article on NPR about applications for a job in the Obama administration that required disclosure of any potentially offending written or spoken thought in the applicant's past, and I thought how sad it is that we've come to this. Twain, Vonnegut, HS Thompson, Emerson, and many many others would and should be apalled. We should too, as the ultimate expression of the corporate media's GOTCHA obsession over the last decades has forced this sort of nonsense on the upcoming administration. I somehow think Rahm Emanuel may have a hard time going vanilla. Let's hope so.

Sometimes I channel Sartre-"L'enfer, c'est les autres", but that probably doesn't apply to this subject...

I'm currently sighting in on Ruskin's Stones of Venice. Architecture is so woefully deficient lately, I can't wait to read all about it from an acknowledged master. Maybe this would be a good subject for future wrangling, if it has not been addressed before.

While the Clinton Library is an amazing building, it could be nicer looking. Here, wags have dubbed it 'the trailer house to the 21st century', with some justification. The architect, James Polshek, gave a great talk at our Clinton School for Public Service recently, but I silently disagreed with him when he termed Georgian, and by inference, traditional/Greek and so forth, styles, as 'banal'. About the only thing I'm aware of that Chuck Windsor (the royal formerly known as Prince, or Mr Knickers) and I have in common is our dismay over the downward spiral of pleasing geometric expression and ideas put forth by contemporary architecture.

What? What's that you say? I'm OFF TOPIC? Isn't this all about EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN?

Deal with it.

I know, I spelled appalled with one p. The HORROR...

All of this reminds me of Jon Stewart's interview (on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show") with Michelle Obama, occurring about a month before the recent Presidential election.

During their discussion, Jon Stewart commented that the role of First Lady was becoming almost like an elected office itself, with the spouses being "vetted" as much as the candidates themselves.

Michelle Obama imputed that trend to today's news media and added: "I think it's fair because we're in there, you know, and it's important for people to - they need to have a comfort level with me as well..."

And then there's French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, the former supermodel Carla Bruni. Sarkozy's wife attracts as much, if not more, attention from the news media than her husband.

First Ladies have their own interests and personalities. They bring their own sense of style and grace to the position, which carries no official job description. Whether being a companion spouse or promoting their own causes, they shouldn't be treated as "entertainment" news.

I'm looking forward to the day when we have a First Gentleman to see what he makes of the position. Do you think he'll work outside the home or lobby for a salary?

I wanted to add...

Jon Stewart, continuing with his theme about the First Lady being an elective office, said how weird it would be if Mr. Obama were elected as the choice for President but then Cindy McCain were elected, instead, as the choice for First Lady. 

"She has to move in, and that's tough," Jon Stewart said.

Michelle Obama agreed. "We don't want that to happen," she added.

Hmmm... as a guy, it's hard to know what (if anything) I can contribute to a discussion of 'First Ladies'. 

It reminds me of a convention I went to many years ago.  I was approached by a female member of the 'feminine caucus' (I think that's what they called themselves) asking me for support.  I told the lady that since I wasn't a woman I couldn't see how my support was relevant.  She got a bit upset at my response.  I wasn't being a smarty.  It just seemed that since they didn't want men coming to their meetings it would be a better idea for me to simply 'go my own way' and let them go theirs....live and let live, so to speak.

Doc-You might've asked her, as Elwood P. Dowd would have:

"What did you have in mind?"

I would have to wonder about a group that wanted outside support without representation. It's problematic to exclude those one lobbies for support...

Doc Nolan,
Perhaps you could imagine what it might be like to be the First Gentleman...

Olivia,
Isn’t architecture, like art, rather subjective?
One of the newest buildings, on the Mall in Washington, D.C., is the National Museum of the American Indian. It was designed by a Native American architect named Douglas Cardinal, who has received a lot of criticism for his conceptual vision. In his own unique style, he eschews distinctively angular forms and employs a plethora of curves to simulate images of cliffs and canyon, river and cloud. Compared to the other structures in the city, it looks more natural, not so man-made, with its wavy bands of limestone, striking cantilevers, curvilinear geometry, and its integral cascading and still water features.
That’s the exterior.
The interior galleries are such a disappointment because there is no fluidity. They are dark, windowless…devoid of natural light. It’s not only difficult to navigate from one exhibit to another but there seems to be no organized way to go about it. The calm, composed, and serene exterior belies the confusion of the inner museum. There is an imposing rotunda with a distinctive spiral staircase, invoking thoughts of a stairway to the heavens. Unfortunately, at the ceiling’s pinnacle there is only a simple saucer dome, and again, the absence of natural light.
Well, Olivia, that’s about as architectural as I can be…hope it helped your craving a little bit :)

Pam-You are so right. Architecture's all about what you like, like art. I'm a retro girl in a lot of ways, and I do like Greco-Roman architecture best. BUT, I also like the Guggenheim thingy in Bilbao and the Sydney Opera House. And that wildly controversial thing Monsieur Eiffel built in Paris...

Native Americans seem to have a very different point of view with regard to time, distance and the shapes of things in general. This is cool, but an architect has the responsibility to think about those who will be using the edifice. This one sounds difficult.

"In my experience, if you have to keep the lavatory door shut by extending your left leg, it's modern architecture."

Nancy Banks Smith

Our Kindlee wondered how would the role fare if it were in the hands of a "First Gentleman"? I'm afraid a male would be found wanting in the area of dignity that he would bring to the role.

When I think of the First Ladies of my lifetime, dignified is the first characteristic that comes to mind, most of the time...

Just so, Mr. Peter Lake... :P

Unfortunately, the second characteristic of First Ladies that comes to mind has been "robotic" which I do hope changes.

Now Mr. Peter Lake would be my fictional father ;)

I just watched the "60 minutes" TV interview with President-elect Obama and his wife. Intelligent, down-to-earth, dignified and articulate, she leaves one with the impression that she will make a superb First Lady - and also first wife, and first mom. 

Her position is not an elected one, yet, it gives you pause to think that she and her husband 'elected' to marry each other and spend their lives together. That must surely tell us something about the both of them.

I wish her the best in defining her role as First Lady, being a companion to her husband, keeping their children well grounded, and not losing her own identity in the process.

PeterLake,

While appreciating the compliment to womankind, I have found that men can be quite dignified...when the situation demands.

Kindlee, I hope you are right, but I do suspect that sometime, somewhere, usually when it could be very embarrassing; the male will ask somebody to pull his finger and he'll end up rolling around on the floor laughing.

It's just something that evolution doesn't have a handle on yet.

With that I bid you all a good night.

Olivia,

So far, my favorite architectural structure is the Pantheon in Rome.

PeterLake,

Somehow I imagine someone like Churchill would have gotten quite a charge out of such a thing! Men are boys, everywhere, I say with an amused smile.

Bonne nuit!

I like houses that have a low profile and blend in with nature when they are situated within it.  I also love arts and crafts style bungalows. 

When it comes to skyscrapers and bridges, I prefer them to be gleaming and shining with the illusion that they are reaching for the heavens.

You are both delightful.

Oh, Peter-pull my finger LOL!!!

I'd only fall for that one once . . . . . . .  a day.

What a great bunch of characters.  When I have to select only five people for my special dinner, will you be my guests?

That would be wonderful food and great conversations.  Count me in.. .  please

I'm there!

Pam-bonne nuit a toi, et dormez-vous bien, ma chere amie.