Mr. President

I have been blessed to be fortunate enough to get to do many cool things in my life. I have been given the chance and the opportunity to travel to places, attend events and meet people that I could never have imagined I would get the chance too. It is not due to any special talent I have but simply because I am lucky, and I have been in the right place at the right time. This past week I got to do something that ranks right up at the top of that list.

I had the opportunity to attend the American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. If you have never been to Nashville I would highly recommend it. If you do make the trip you have to venture down to Music Row and take in the live music. I am a country music fan, so I really enjoyed the sights and sounds but that was not what made this trip exceptional. We stayed in the Opryland Hotel and that was an experience. Any hotel that has its own cell phone app to help guide you around is amazing, but that was certainly not the highlight.

We got a lot of important work done for the American Farm Bureau and there were a lot of great workshops and general sessions, but they also paled in comparison to, what I deemed, as the highlight of the convention. We were lucky enough to have the President of the United States, President Donald Trump address us.  It was an experience I will never forget.

When it was announced that President Trump would be coming to the Convention I had several acquaintances tell me that they would not attend if they were given the chance. The main reason most gave me for not wanting to attend was their disagreement with his policies or with how he approached his job as president. Let me make this clear, my decision to attend this event was not at all based on politics. It is not a statement of whether I agree or disagree with the President on policy or how he goes about doing his job. There is no elected official that I agree with totally and very few I disagree with completely.

The President was to address the Convention at around 2:30 and the session started at noon. Seating was limited so we got in line at 9:00 and waited and waited and waited. When we got in line we could not see the end of the line in either direction. Then it started moving at a snail’s pace. After about three hours the end was finally in sight. We had to pass through metal detectors and were scrutinized by the TSA. We were herded to the seats and there were no picking seats, saving places but fortunately for me we ended up close to the front and I could see the podium without the aid of the glasses I had forgotten back in my room.

The planned portion of the General Session started at noon and the highlight of that session was Reba McEntire. I must admit that she was worth all the hassle of getting into the meeting and I will never forget her talk but there was the hint of anticipation hanging in the air. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue talked to us and normally he might have been the highlight, but we knew the best was yet to come.

An intermission followed and probably the greatest challenge happened during this period. There was only one area of restrooms available for 4500 people. It was the one and only time I have ever lamented my coffee habit. However, everyone was patient, and this too was resolved. The announcer asked us to return to our seats and the air buzzed with conversation. The big moment finally happened, and President Trump appeared. To be honest he didn’t say anything earth shaking but it was nice for a sitting President to acknowledge the importance of agriculture and talk about issues important to us.

I thought back to my friends who said they would not have attended the speech and I really think they missed the boat. The idea of skipping this opportunity was a bit baffling to me. I was not necessarily attending as an endorsement of President Trump but rather as an acknowledgement of the Office of President of the United States. No matter how you feel about the President’s politics there should be a certain amount of respect and admiration for the office. I would have jumped at this chance no matter who the President was.

Would I go through all the hassle, waiting and security to see a Presidential address again? The answer is a resounding yes, no matter who might be making it. I was within eyesight of the person who leads the most powerful nation in the world and that is something I will never forget or take for granted. A chance of a lifetime that I hope everyone will have someday.