THE DAY WE MET THE FIRST PRESIDENT BUSH

The date was September 8, 1989. Then President Bush had been invited to address the National Baptist Convention in New Orleans. This was a world- wide organization of black church people. Our good friend, Rev. T. J. Jemison (President of the group) had invited us to come to the convention as his guest to hear the President.

We arrived about an hour before the President was to speak and sat down among several thousand delegates from all over the country. About 20 minutes before the speech we heard a large booming voice announce over the loudspeaker, "WILL MR. AND MRS. GENE WORLEY PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM". It was Rev. Jemison's voice, so we proceeded up to the podium and found our places on the fourth row among all the visiting dignitaries of this enormous group of black people. We were the only white faces in the entire crowd at that time.

Soon the band started playing "Hail to the Chief", and here he came! Not six feet from us, smiling and waving to the crowd. This made three white faces on the podium. Reverend Jemison introduced him to the crowd and he made a great speech on family values and education against drugs.

After the speech the President turned around and started shaking hands with lots of people on the podium. Reverend Jemison escorted him straight toward us. He said, "Mr. President, I want you to meet my good friends from Baton Rouge, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Worley.  " We both shook his hand and Virginia said to him in a loud voice, "I'm an elementary school principal". He smiled at her and said, "That's great".

For once in my life I was so excited I could not say ONE WORD!