August 26, 2013
Catie Curry
Columnist
POTUS
From Washington, D.C., Catie Curry, POTUS columnist.
“Here’s the general rule: when you’re 9, you don’t need a bucket list. When you get to be 52, then you might start wanting to draw one up.”
— President Barack Obama, speaking to a 9-year-old student in New York
The President returned from his peaceful vacation at Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday and jumped right back into his busy job of running the country. While he has new issues with Egypt to deal with and alleged chemical weapons use by the government of Syria to concern himself with, the president returned to Washington fresh-faced and ready to get back to work.
He spent the first couple of days regrouping at the White House before setting off for Buffalo, New York on Thursday August 22. Obama traveled to State University of New York Buffalo to give a speech on college affordability. The president made a slight mistake in the beginning of his speech when he accidentally addressed Mayor Byron Brown by the name of New York Congressman Brian Higgins. After the audience corrected him, Obama laughed off the mistake, saying, “This is what happens when you get to be 52 years old.”
When he finished the speech, the president took a trip to Magnolia’s Deli and Café, where he continued his conversation on college affordability with college students and parents. He also took the time to meet with other people in the café. When one group asked about the First Lady, Obama replied, “Michelle couldn’t come…She’s got other things going on.” He also talked about the First Family’s new dog, Sunny. He said disappointingly that she has not yet been “potty trained.”
Later in the afternoon, President Obama arrived at the Women’s Rights National Park in Seneca Falls, New York for a quick visit. As he arrived in the visitor center, he was greeted by a signed copy of his remarks from the ceremony to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This was the first bill he signed as president. He spoke briefly with the people in the visitor center about the Ledbetter law and its goals. He said, “It’s an honor to visit Seneca Falls and recall the righteous struggle that found expression here. I’m also proud to add an example of Lilly Ledbetter’s leadership to your collection. Thanks for all you do to honor the character and perseverance of America’s women.”
Before leaving, the president picked up a few souvenirs for Malia and Sasha, including copies of the Declaration of Sentiments. I’m sure they will be happy to see what little surprises their dad brought them from this business trip.
President Obama finished his day with a stop in Syracuse to give another speech on college affordability at Henninger High School. The following morning, he was up bright and early to drive through New York to his next speech at Birmingham University. He did make one stop at Tully Junior-Senior High School in Tully, New York. There, the president stopped at the school’s soccer fields, where the girls and boys soccer teams were practicing. The president said to the kids, “I was driving by and I thought, you know, I need to kick around a ball a little bit.” He chatted with the kids a little about their lives at school and at home. One girl in particular impressed him when she told him she works on a farm.
He also explained to the kids why he was traveling in New York. He said, “Part of what I’m doing is I’m traveling around the area talking about college, making sure that young people can pay for it. I’m assuming everybody here’s gonna want to go to college? So part of what we want to do is make sure that whatever school you decide to go to that you can afford to do it, get grants, loans, and don’t end up having too much debt.” At one point, a girl from one of the teams mentioned that it was on her bucket list to meet President Obama. He responded, “Here’s the general rule: when you’re 9, you don’t need a bucket list. When you get to be 52, then you might start wanting to draw one up. But you’ve got a lotta stuff going on ahead of you.” Wise words, Mr. President.
After making his speech in Birmingham, President Obama started to travel to the next school on his list: Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. However, he made a quick spontaneous stop to pick up some pies from Bingham’s Family Restaurant in Lenox, Pennsylvania with Senator Bob Casey. Obama was cheerful as he entered the shop, greeting fellow pie-lovers with a bright, “Hello everybody.” He said cheerfully to the owner of the shop, Dave Scarpetta, “I hear you’ve got the best pie. That’s the word on the street.” He also introduced the senator to Scarpetta and to some of the shop’s employees. He said, “Do you know your senator, Bob Casey? He loves pie.”
After the introductions, President Obama asked Senator Scarpetta which pie he was “particularly proud of.” With Scarpetta’s recommendation, Obama ordered a coconut crème pie along with a cherry pie. Afterwards, he walked around the shop and greeted some of the customers enjoying their meals. Obama then left the restaurant with his treats, proving that there is always time for pie, even if you are as busy as the president of the United States.
The president arrived at his final destination on his trip to talk about college affordability at Lackawanna College later that afternoon. He started his speech by excitedly telling the crowd how happy he was to be back in Scranton. He recalled, “The first time I came to Scranton I was invited to a St. Patrick’s Day party that the ladies were hosting. And I’ve got to say, Michelle got a little jealous, because they were — I was getting kisses and I came home and had all this lipstick on my collar and Michelle said, “What’s going on there?” I said, ‘No, I was just campaigning.’” The audience laughed loudly as the president told his story. He finished, “So that makes me like Scranton.”
He also had some nice things to say about Vice President Joe Biden, who introduced Obama before his speech. The president said, “Today is a special day for Joe and me because five years ago today, on August 23, 2008, I announced in Springfield, Illinois, my home state, that Joe Biden was going to be my running mate. And it was the best decision that I ever made, politically, because I love this guy. And he’s got heart, and he cares about people, and he’s willing to fight for what he believes in.” He also had some kind words for Scranton, the Biden’s hometown. “If it weren’t for Scranton, I wouldn’t have Joe Biden,” he said.
Obama arrived safely home when Air Force One touched down in Washington that evening. However, the president had one more item left on his list of things to do. He gave a special surprise to one of his employees who was celebrating his birthday that day. The president presented him with a pie he had picked up from Bingham’s Family Restaurant with a candle on it. After brief congratulations, the president returned to work at the White House, getting ready for yet another busy week.
