POLITICIANS and GOOD PEOPLE

ONCE IN A WHILE, THEY ARE THE SAME (just not too often...)
As most of you might have noticed, I try to keep my postings as politically neutral as possible, generally sticking to gardens, weather, cats and possums, and the occasional person or two. Quite frankly, you really gotta be SOMEBODY to be on my blog. Now that doesn’t always mean famous, though I might boast a picture or two of Richard Gere (sigh...)

and a couple shots of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a posting about Andy Wyeth, but I have a goodness meter that I use before I put anyone on the blog. Being a relative or friend is just not enough – you have to be a special person; you need a score of at least 9 on a the Goodness scale of 10 to even get mentioned here! But, as I said, people are seldom my subjects.
So, on Wednesday, I had the honor and pleasure to attend a political/non-political event. I had been invited to attend the ground breaking ceremony for the new seafood complex at the Eastern Shore Farmer’s Market – which might not sound like much to those who don’t know what it is – but it was big enough for the Governor of Virginia to attend, make a speech, and toss a shovel of dirt into the air. Yea! Dusty dirt, not mud for a change!!!!
For those of you who have known me for a long time, I know it is unbelievable to you that I am in anyway at all involved in political things, but, somehow or another, it has happened. Now I will confess, I did not vote for this governor, so I really did not care about going to this thing, and in fact, turned it down, twice. However, a third phone call managed to persuade me to change my mind and cancel my other plans for Wednesday morning.
A few years ago, we had a Delegate to our state General Assembly by the name of Bob Bloxom. (He is the TALL one! LOL!) He was a local boy, as we call all our local politicians (we haven’t had any female ones yet) and Bob was a rarity. He was/is honest. He was/is a good man. One of the best. He was someone who served his people with honesty and integrity, and he never let politics or ignorance get in his way. Now how rare is THAT? Bob knew what was best for the shore, and he worked FOR us – not for reelection, not for the power or the title, but for the betterment of the people on the Eastern Shore. To SERVE us. Period. That also meant he voted with the Republicans when necessary, and the Democrats when necessary. He called himself a Republican, but he was as Independent as he could be. I remember someone once saying, “I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat, I am an Eastern Shoreman.” If that wasn’t Bob that said that, it might have been. I can hear him thinking it.
Unfortunately, we had some very narrow minded people in office at the time. One in particular got revenge on Bob for not voting 200% of the time with the Republicans, and she, having power of office over him in Congress, stripped him of his seniority in all his committees, making him as powerless as a puppy. It really hurt us on the shore (not that she cared, though she was supposed to be looking out for us as her district) but it also hurt those of us who loved him (which is anyone who knew him) and some of us vowed to replace her in the next election. (I actually helped vote her in, stupid me, but that was before I learned to read the fine print!) Bob retired (what was the point in being a delegate stripped of years of seniority?) and let a younger man take up the battle. After all, he was having a few health issues, and a wise man knows when it is time to go home and dust off the fishing pole. 2 years ago, she was defeated. I am proud of any part I had in that, though I am ashamed to say I gloated over her defeat, still have her opponent’s bumper sticker on my van. Shame on me, but I felt I had to do that for Bob. After all, he did so much for us.
Anyway, I digress. I do try to keep these postings impersonal… but this one just got away from me. My friend, Lynn, at the Eastern Shore Farmer’s Market said she knew how much I thought of Bob, and he was going to be there. This market had been one of his dreams and he had worked so hard to make it a reality before Thelma cut him down. Lynn said I really needed to be there, but she would not tell me why. Said it was a secret… well, I then figured it out… and I swear Bob was more surprised than anyone when they revealed the name of the new market complex. I bet I wasn’t the only one with tears in my eyes. It was a good day. And I got to feel one of Bob’s good hugs once again. I have missed them.
Another one of “my” political stars was there, Senator Ralph Northam (on the left in front of the sign) – another wonderful and honest man. (We sure know how to grow ‘em here on the Shore, don’t we?) Ralph also gives great hugs, and he gave them when he was a little boy, too. The first time I met Ralph, he was 7, and it was my first year teaching, probably my first Day! He, like Bob, is a gem among men. Ralph did not come to politics early; he is also a pediatric neurologist when he is not in the Senate, and does a lot of wonderful work for the children of this state. I am honored to say I even know him. I fought hard for Ralph to unseat the incumbent Nick Rerras who called professional women feminazis. My women friends and I became Eastern Shore Feminazis for the night of his debate with Ralph. The results were great, Rerras stumbled and sputtered all over the stage. Ralph won the debate easily and then the election.
Did I digress again? I am so good at that…

Anyway, here for the record are just some of the folks at the groundbreaking, some big shots, some who think they are big shots, those of us who dearly love a couple of the big shots, friends and Very Important People who made the whole thing possible. (Bob is the TALL one... the Gov, not so tall. Guess who with the Governor. Imagine me behaving this well! I am almost ashamed to put my picture on here – my hair is still so short, I barely recognize myself! (But it made Mary Ann happy – it was (almost) shaved off in support of her having to have chemo and losing all her hair.)
Special friend and person who pulled this thing off almost single-handedly… good friend and former model for Victoria’s Secret and the Governor. Her boss, Jim Stern, (in the white shirt) and the governor… It was a great place for folks and friends to celebrate the long over due recognition and honoring of a great man at the Robert S Bloxom Eastern Shore Agricultural Complex.Sorry about including the Richard Gere shot - totally off topic, but I will use any excuse...........