I have corresponded with C4P regular commenter, known publicly as Bestbud, for a while now. He and his wife are both Governor Palin supporters, and Bestbud has patiently awaited an opportunity to meet the Governor. Just a few days ago he saw her in person at the College of the Ozarks. As promised, he emailed me about the experience and sent pictures.
First let me share with you a comment he wrote for my post called "Going Rogue with Governor Palin in Rochester, NY," written after I returned from volunteering at the Rochester book signing. Read that post here.
November 24th:
Adrienne
Sorry to be late to comment... your tweets kept me excited and I could feel your pride.. I hear people say all the time how great it is to be around Sarah and can't wait for my chance Dec 2 at College Of the Ozarks.
A few days later he sent me this email:
November 27th:
Adrienne
I commented on motivation truth but wanted to let you know again how moving your experience was to read...
My wife and I are getting ready to go Dec 1st to hear Sarah at the College Of The Ozarks.. It's almost here and Im so hoping to get a chance to meet Sarah and experience a little of what you describe... I know Im going to come away with something special and real and inspiring for having gone.
I'm hopeful some day to meet you along the way... would love to do so... I'm wanting to serve in some way and have been prayerfully seeking a path to do so... I don't know yet how that might come true... Have never before felt so compelled and inspired, this last year following Sarah has made it certain... I don't know how to go about It or who to talk to but hopefully there is a way.
I was very glad to hear from Bestbud after he and his wife attended Governor Palin's speech. He shared this account:
College Of The Ozarks 12/2/2009
Keeter Center Dinning Hall--I can't describe the setting... rustic but ornate might work. The setup and meal and service totally done by students.
Sarah entered and walked along a roped side wall and front wall to the center table of the hall, no fanfare, no introduction, just the stir of everyone turning to let us know... finally a round of applause broke out... I wanted desperately to stand up and yell, "Sarah! Sarah!" but Gina put her hand on my knee and I knew it was for the best... this is what I don't like about formality... a tie chokes the life out of spontaneity... my common sense, she deserved better. The only downer of a great evening but I had to say it.
Gina and I at the most formal dinner setting of our lives... look at that salad!... wrapped in a baked thin piece of pastry--MY OH MY!... and we paid WHAT for this!
Coats and ties and formal dresses everywhere... Where are Chuck and Sally Heath when we need them? They did not attend the dinner or Convocation and we learned later at the Convocation they looked in on closed circuit TV while taking care of Trig.
I must say this at this time!... these were the only tickets I could have ever obtained when I called... and I only got them by the grace of God and the nicest Lady (Becky Brown) you could ever talk to... I knew nothing about the College and had been inquiring--she would answer question after question and the more she told me it became clear this was a special place and a special Lady named Sarah was going to be there for special reasons... the occasion sounded too good to be true.
Becky Brown said... I think I might!... I interrupted, is there any way?...how many do you need?.. just two(2)!... I have two left!... she
offered them to me.
I floated to the kitchen saying I got them!.. don't know to this day how I got there.
I alluded to the cost above... $250 each, quite Hefty to say the least, for our ordinary lives.
Here's the heavenly part of all this... I learned when the tickets arrived that all but $46 dollars of each ticket would be a tax deductible contribution, meaning $408 total goes to the College.
I knew from my heart of hearts and Sarah's heart... she would NEVER charge for her appearance at such events as this.
Now this is another heavenly part of this... we learned during the convocation in which each veteran recognized was awarded "Great American Awards," Sarah was the inaugural recipient by the way... that the money raised from these tickets goes to support a college program called "Patriotic Education Travel Program" whereby students travel back to the battlefield, with a veteran of that battlefield, to educate the younger generation about the sacrifices made and so their stories never die.
What more could you ask of your money...going to such a worthy cause? It's why after I had been talking to Becky Brown, I said, how long had you been working on getting Sarah?... a year!, she said, and I replied Im not at all surprised.
A side note... after arriving at 2:00 PM at the gate to the College and finally getting to proceed into the Keeter Center at 4:00Pm, I was asked my name and when I told the lady, she said... I remember talking to you... looked at her badge... Becky Brown!... she said go on in, never asking for my tickets.
I am constantly blown away by the people Governor Palin has touched and brought together: young, old, black, white, people from various walks of life--from America and beyond!
Thank you, Bestbud, for sharing your story.
I will now share some of his pictures with all of you.
College of the Ozarks welcomes Governor Palin
Bestbud in front of the Going Rogue tour bus
Crowd gathered to hear the Governor speak
Aunt Kate with beautiful Trig
Bestbud and Gina with the Governor's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Heath
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