What could be more all-American than attending a Rotary Club luncheon in Peachtree City, Georgia, as an Eagle Scout leads the Pledge of Allegiance?
That's where I was this noon, with a student group and other mentors, considering just how long it had been since I'd been at a Rotary Club luncheon. I guess I went to one a couple years ago to hear my brother address a group. Before that, I think I went as a guest of HCB. Prior to that, I went during my reporting days to more than I could count in order to cover their guest speakers.
I actually enjoyed this one. It was a room of extroverts, where a large nametag and a hearty handshake (with eye contact) are the norm. But I found my usually cynical heart softened by the group's goodwill and commitment. This is my community now, after all, and these are the people who are willing to invest their time and effort to keep it a good one. (It doesn't hurt their insurance / lawn care / realty and assorted other small businesses, either …)
This is the town that gets my tax dollars, and the local state rep was the guest speaker today. He wore a seersucker suit, an interesting choice for a man under 50. And he updated us on the state budget (short version: not good).
Sitting next to me through it all was an exchange student from France. I wondered what she made of the 90 minutes we spent with the Rotarians. For me, the event was the distillation of everything great about America, plus a free lunch with good iced tea. For her, it probably was a step through the looking glass, especially the "Sunshine" and "Bragging Rights" portions, in which a guy stood up to tell a clean joke, and then other people announced milestones like their 55th wedding anniversary and the enormous rainbow trout they caught on vacation.
It was a good day and a nice period of reflection on great Americans like my brother, HCB, and the guy who told the joke.
Georgia Confidential 