Missing Chapters

I saw the baby dressed in a violet T-shirt getting handed to former President Bill Clinton during his visit to Elon University Wednesday as part of a campaign stop for his wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton. I knew the proud mama, Kathy Colville, Alamance County Health Department’s health education supervisor, had to be near.

I kept wedging my way into the crowd, holding my small video camera, which was attached to a tripod and over my head. I hoped to capture the moment on film but there were too many heads blocking a clear shot.

When I finally got a glimpse of Colville’s face, she was beaming as I anticipated. Her 5-month-old daughter, Gretchen Sims, decked out in a T-shirt declaring her not a “future princess” but a “future president,” was sitting quite content in the arms of our country’s 42nd president. For some reason, I was proud, too.

There were a lot of “aws” and plenty of camera flashes to follow – the moment assuredly preserved for Colville.

A young woman stood to my left. She, too, was inching her way closer and closer to Clinton.

“Oh my gosh, he’s so close,” she said. “… Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I’ve never been so excited about anyone.”

The Elon University student never made her way through the crowd to get closer to Clinton’s hand, but many of the people who gathered had the opportunity to interact with him. Some asked for autographs. Others posed for pictures and many were satisfied to just shake his hand.

One student emerged from the crowd, grinning from ear to ear.

“I got a hand touch,” she announced.

“President Clinton, President Clinton, air five, air high five,” a young man shouted.

All types of folks showed up to listen to Clinton speak. Many arrived early and didn’t seem to mind that he was an hour late. They played cards on the grass, listened to iPods, chatted on cell phones or caught up with friends usually busy with classes.

Some supported Hillary Clinton’s campaign to be the first female president.

Many of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s supporters also attended. While they made their loyalties known with signs, such as “Students for Obama” and “ABC: Anybody But Clinton,” it didn’t seem to be the sole reason they were there.

As Daronce Daniels, an Elon University football player and Obama supporter told me in the video I shot that day, he was there to see Bill.

“I love Bill Clinton,” he said. “Bill Clinton’s the man, you know.”

I noticed a lot of mothers attended the event with their children. There were some fathers, too, but more moms with their kids. For many of them, it wasn’t about political party affiliations or support for any one candidate.

They were there because a former president was in Alamance County making history and to put it simply, they wanted to be a part of it. More importantly, they wanted their children to be in the thick of it.

I, too, enjoyed experiencing history in the making, but I think it meant more to document others have their moment with an American president.

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