Mr. Williams Goes To Washington: Meeting President Obama At The White House

Wednesday afternoon July 22 around 430PM  I started to make my way through our nation’s capital to the place where the President and his family made their home.  I had the added comfort of not going alone too; one of my coworkers, Beth Atherton had received the invitation to the reception as well. Honestly the entire experience felt a bit surreal. From the invitation, to the airline flights, and the suit shopping, to the encouragement of friends and family on social media I was a bit overwhelmed. I made my way through multiple identification checks and security checkpoints, and then began making my way up the steps to the White House.

Walking through the space, my mind was filled with gratitude. I had gratitude for the opportunity of course, but more so gratitude for all of the folks who had poured into my life, all of us unaware that an opportunity like this would ever present itself. I was also grateful for the words of my friend, and Nuru’s founder Jake Harriman who had recently shared in a speech that as a Marine, he fought for “the idea that is America, a nation that stands for the freedom of human rights and lasting, meaningful choices for everyone, everywhere.” Here I was, in the place where every US President had made his home, in the place where global leaders for the last 200 years had met with these Presidents and talked about the past, current events, and a pathway for the future.

I made my way from room to room and was just simply amazed that regular citizens would have an opportunity to walk through a place of such hallowed tradition and leadership. I looked on the walls at portraits of former Presidents. I sat on chairs that were more than 200 years old, chairs that were sat upon for discussion, debate, and contemplation as leaders thought through decisions that would affect future generations of our country and the world.

As I walked around, I started conversations with a few of the service members on duty to learn more about the space. I walked around looking at the dining ware of former Presidents, photos of historic moments for our nation and the world, and I thought—what a privilege—I don’t belong here—this is out of my league. But then, at the same time, I thought, that is the beauty of America. For all of our faults, (because we are not a perfect utopia), we are a nation where a small town boy from West Virginia, and regular folk from everywhere have a stake in shaping the future, by voting and by serving. I met a woman there named Peggy who had been on staff for more than 50 years. She started two days after President Kennedy was assassinated. She was incredibly humble and joyful, and I absolutely loved talking with her. She told me that her time in the White House had been filled with amazing experiences, every day, and that she had the privilege of meeting some pretty amazing people during her time. As I listened to her share, I thought, “I’m so thankful for the opportunity to meet this amazing lady. She has spent more time in these hallowed halls than any of the Presidents she has served under. What a gift.”

An individual stepped forward to make the announcement that we should make our way from the State Dining Room to the East Room. There was a podium toward the front of the room with the Seal of the President Of The United States on the front, and a rope that was probably 5-10 feet away.  There were multiple video cameras throughout the space, and Beth and I made our way toward the rope and waited.

As we waited we both found ourselves striking up conversations with others around us. Among those around us was a Lumbee woman who had been doing some amazing work for small farmers in the American Indian community. I shared with her my own Shawnee heritage and tribal involvement, and we had a truly engaging conversation about the Native American issues particularly related to tribes on the East Coast.  As we talked, I thought, what are the chances that I would end up standing next to another Native person in the White House…while celebrating the signing into law a renewal of the African Growthand Opportunity Act. The world is small indeed.

Just a few moments later, President Barack Obama made his way to the podium and gave a short address. And as he spoke, he kept looking my direction, and making eye contact. The first time it happened, I thought, “Is he looking at me?” and then, it kept happening. It probably helped that I was close to the front, and at least a half-foot taller than many of the people around me. After his remarks, the President made his way to the rope and began making his way across the front row shaking hands. I had let a couple of people in front of me, and thought, “I may have just missed an opportunity to greet the President.” But as he made his way to my side of the room, he extended his hand back past the front row of people, grabbed my hand, and said very genuinely, “Thanks so much for coming!” My mind raced for the right words to say to our nation’s Commander-In-Chief, and I humbly spoke as we shook, “Thank you for having me, sir.” He then proceeded to shake hands with others, and quietly left the room to prepare for his trip to the African continent.

As the room began to empty out, I made my way back to the dining room and chatted with Beth, my coworker, about the experience. It was pretty amazing all around. I had also captured a photo of Beth and President Obama exchanging a quick greeting as well. We made our way through the entrance hall to the State Dining Room where we were able to enjoy a short conversation with two older Catholic sisters who had committed their lives to serving their African neighbors. It was a beautiful moment to listen to stories from two women who had been faithful to a vocational calling to serve.

This entire trip and opportunity will be a cherished and special memory for me, and I am thoroughly filled with gratitude for the opportunity I had to spend time in the White House. I remember as a young child, always being told on field trips that I was representing my school and my town and my state. During this experience, the weight of those words came flooding back. I was given a supreme privilege to represent not only Nuru, but my faith, my Shawnee tribal community, my state, and my family in the highest office in the land.

The truth is, every day is an opportunity for each one of us to represent well the people and cultures from whom and from which we have been shaped.  May we each step into our days with a firm grasp of this reality, and may we each seek to represent well as we commit ourselves to the service and betterment of others.

Reflection: Getting Invited To The White House

During the afternoon of Sunday July 19 I received an email with an invitation inside it. The email indicated that I was invited by President Barack Obama to the White House to attend a reception celebrating the signing of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on June 22, 2015 with an RSVP needed by July 21. I was reading this email and sharing it with Jamie and a couple of our friends, and they were all telling me, “Wow Billy! You have to go!”  I was a little in shock by the whole thing. I have never been invited to the White House, and never received an invitation from the President, and I wasn’t even sure how to respond. I was honored, but I was also half-way across the country about to share Nuru at an incredible conference in Denver Colorado.

The folks at the conference heard my dilemma and went out of their way to let me know how excited they were for me, and that they would move around my keynote to make sure I was able to make the trip to the White House. They encouraged and affirmed me and celebrated this amazing opportunity for Nuru to be represented at our nation’s capital, and helped me begin thinking through an action plan.

To be honest, I was filled with gratitude for the opportunity but wasn’t sure what to expect or how this would all come together. I didn’t have a suit, tie, shoes, or anything I could wear that would be remotely appropriate for the occasion. I would have to book a flight roughly 24 hours before I needed to leave. I would need to figure out where to stay and how I was going to get around during this whirlwind event. And every step of the way, my friends rallied around me to help make this trip possible. I booked my flight, and my friends JR and Christy Pittman told me that they would pick me up and take me wherever I needed to go once I arrived in DC. They allowed me the privilege of sleeping under their roof (which also gave me a great opportunity to catch up with them too!).

Additionally, one of my old roommates, former coworkers, and dear friends, Derek Roberts lives in Denver. He told me that he would take care of getting me to and from the airport in Denver and would support in whatever capacity I needed. He and my friend and coworker Alex Martin provided some tips and ideas on purchasing appropriate clothing, but I still needed to find said clothing. That’s where Kris Woyna came in and he came in big!!! Kris is a software architect and good friend who I have gotten to know at ÜberConf over the last four years, and I’ve always respected his counsel. He adamantly exhorted me that I needed to make this trip, and I needed to make sure I looked sharp for the sake of Nuru as well as for the sobering truth that I would likely meet the President of the United States.

 

Kris took me and Jamie on a fashion emergency trip Monday night in what is probably the coolest car I’ve ever had the privilege of riding in. An old school Land Rover that was legitimately ready to be taken off-road, and which Kris has frequently taken on outdoor excursions into remote areas of the US. We visited several places, and finally landed at Nordstrom where they were having a very timely anniversary sale. As I tried on a couple of suits, Kris was telling everyone who was helping me about the occasion and about the work I have been part of at Nuru. Kris gave me very wise counsel with regard to suits, styles, fits, and the like. He went out of his way and gave up his entire evening to help me look presentable. To be honest, I’ve only worn a suit on a few occasions during my life, and I just didn’t know that much about them. Kris enlisted help and additional counsel from Sandy Ross, one of the incredible staff at Nordstrom and she went to work to find me shoes, socks, a shirt, and a tie to complete the ensemble. Because of Kris, she knew the kind of work we do at Nuru, and that I wanted to look my best, but do so on a budget.

In addition, the tailor, whose name was Nam, began working with me to make sure my suit fit properly. Although I’ve worn a suit on a handful of occasions, I have never had one tailor fit to my body. Nam said he wasn’t sure how quickly they would be able to turn around all of the fitting, but Kris passionately implored him to help me get ready for a possible meeting with the President. This was Monday night and the store was about to close. I would need to have clothes ready by Tuesday at 1PM at the latest to be able to make my flight. Nam made a quick phone call, and announced that he would have the suit ready by noon (he actually had it ready by 11AM!).  AND, they didn’t charge me for any of the alterations (many places charge $10-50 per alteration); these folks really came through in a BIG way!!!

Because Kris took the time to guide me along this process, and because of the incredible help of the people at Nordstrom, I was ready to look my best as I entered the White House. Because of friends like JR, Christy, and Derek, I was able to worry about one less thing as I traveled. And as I sat in the Denver airport waiting to board the plane, I was incredibly emotionally overwhelmed and filled with gratitude. This opportunity was an incredible win for Nuru, but it was also an incredible win for every person who has believed in Nuru and supported our mission from the beginning. It was also an opportunity I could have never imagined for me personally. In my wildest imaginations, I would never have fathomed such an incredible opportunity would present itself. I had an opportunity to represent not only Nuru, but also my home state of West Virginia. And more than that, all of the important lessons I have learned from friends and family from childhood to the present that have helped me become a better version of myself, those lessons and memories came flooding back to my mind as I thought about the weight of what I was about to experience.

I’m incredibly grateful for both friends and family, and we all should be. We each get the opportunity to become better by listening to the counsel of others and enjoying and savoring every moment, every nugget of wisdom, every experience that shapes us. May you and I always be filled with gratitude for the gifts that friends and family give us that shape us and help us contribute to bettering our communities and the world around us.

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White House

White House, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Monday, I traveled to DC to participate in a recently developed tradition of watching the WVU Georgetown game with a number of friends and passionate WVU fans. (No comment on the game, except to say that I would love to have John Beilein for a coach--he's a class act, an advocate, and he's willing to step up to defend his players).

Another tradition I have is walking around the city a bit anytime I take a metro into the city. It was a bit colder monday than I would have liked, but it was still great to walk around. I even had an opportunity to visit a Starbucks that I usually go to with my friends--it's in the old firehouse, and I think I first went to that one with our Amsterdam mission team from 2003.

I walked to 1600 pennsylvania avenue while I was there, and I snapped this picture. Of course it's a familiar sight, and I as I stood there, I thought about the weight of responsibility carried by the folks who have lived there over the years. What a powerful office, and what an immense responsibility.

The city is all a buzz with the scooter libby trial, and interestingly as the linked article alludes, bloggers are playing a role in covering the trial.

It's exciting to see this wave of technology begin to catch on. It's exciting to see how much it is being used, and how it can help shape and inform our world. I guess bloggers all over the world share a tremendous responsibility and a powerful office as well.

Come to think of it, we all bear a responsibility and a powerful office as people made in the image of God. We're supposed to reflect something of who He is to one another. Sometimes, I wonder how we are doing with that . . . how are you doing with that?