Please Don't Touch Me

Okay, I'm going to preface this blog post by trying to convince you that I'm not trying to brag about how good I look or how much male attention I get. (Really, it's not that much at all-- these things have only happened a select few times, if at all...I'm not trying to chastise people so much as be pro-active in getting this to not happen.)

I am a young woman who works for a professional organization. I frequently travel to conferences (oftentimes by myself) to table. As it happens, I am often at a table by myself. I'm fine with this, I do like talking to people. I love sharing information about the SSA, because I think we're fucking awesome. (We are. If you ever want more info on us, ask me; I'll talk your ear off.)

I am also a person with a very diminutive stature and a bubbly personality (when I'm not bitingly sarcastic, that is). I smile a lot. I laugh a lot.

However. This is my job. I am paid to do this. I am a professional. Just because I am young, or small, or smiling, or laughing does not mean you can or should do inappropriate things for my workplace. Things that may seem simple or innocuous to you are uncomfortable to me. You may think you're being my friend or that we're flirting by touching me. I'm not talking about scary sexual assault touching, I'm talking about putting your hand on my shoulder or something like that. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but people already don't take me seriously as a professional adult (because, like I said, small, smiley, giggley).

When I'm at events, people say things to me like "Little girl, get me a coffee." Sure, I know you wouldn't say that-- but if someone sees you, my friend or something I'm enjoying talking to, touching me...it sends a message to them. It's okay to be overly friendly to her, because she's young and smiling at me. I've noticed that if someone (a close friend) touches my shoulder to guide me somewhere in a public room, many more people want to touch me later that day. I might be overreacting, but I really feel the need to reiterate: I am a professional at work. Do you touch your waitress? Or your concierge? No, of course not (and if you do, please re-evaluate your social behavior).

Also: please don't flirt with me while I'm tabling. Don't call me "cute" or "adorable." I understand that you are trying to make a connection, and that's great! But really-- I'm at work. I don't want to be seen as less of a professional (by anyone) because I'm flirting when I should be doing my job. Chances are, I'll be walking around the hotel or conference building later. Or getting food at some point (I do like food). Strike up a less-professional conversation with me then. Or hit me up on my twitter! I'll respond on there. Please, just not while I'm working.

I might be belaboring the point a bit, but I just really feel like I'm constantly fighting an uphill battle to be taken seriously. Of course, within my organization, I'm respected-- but I don't know how people outside of it see me. Yes, I know I have a silly twitter account and blog, and I talk a lot about dinosaurs-- that doesn't mean I don't know my job inside and out. It doesn't make me less capable. That is separate from what I do at work.

I was at Skepticon last year (they have a new website, btw-- go check it out; it's awesome) and after a long day of tabling, I wanted to relax in the hot tub with my new book ("Nailed: Ten Christian Myths Why Jesus Never Existed" by David Fitzgerald, which is amazing, btw, and I highly recommend it). There was a guy already in the hot tub when I got there...okay, fine, he has a right to be there (I'm surprisingly anti-social when I want to relax. Don't take it personally, just me being an introvert.).

We had some small talk when I got in, and then I said, "Okay, well, I'm not trying to be rude now, but I've had a really long day working, so I think I'm just going to read my book for a while now." *Pull book up in front of face*

This guy replied, "Oh, you were working at the conference?"

I said, "Yes, I was tabling for the Secular Student Alliance."

He replied: "Oh, you were tabling at the conference?"

I said, "Yes, for the Secular Student Alliance." (a bit of an edge was creeping into my voice at this point)

He said, after a glance down at my chest and a short pause, "Wow...you must be really talented at your job, because you're definitely not a booth babe." (For those unfamiliar with the term: a "booth babe" is an attractive woman, usually with large breasts and scantily clad, that is paid to look pretty and stand in front of something that men are generally interested in-- like cars or video games-- in order to gain their attention for the product.)

What am I supposed to say to something like that? "Yep, I'm ugly, so it sure is lucky that I'm smart!" Now, this is NOT your cue to tell me that I am, in fact, cute. That is not the point. The point is (to quote the ever-wonderful Greta Christina) that it should not fucking well matter. 


I just want to live in a world where I'm judged based on my professional behavior and aptitude-- not whether I'm fuckable or not. Short of that perfect scenario, I'd at least like to be treated with respect. Here's a quick litmus test you can do to figure out whether you should do or say something to me: would I also say this to a man or a person I am not attracted to? If the answer is no, then please, don't do it for me.

Just to be clear: I am NOT saying don't be friendly to me, don't joke around with me, or stuff like that at conferences. Please, do so! I love making new friends! But just remember: I am at work. Please treat it as such.

(I really hope this doesn't come across as "woe is me, I'm such a pretty girl! I have alllll the problems in the world!" I really just wanted to be treated fairly. I realize there are 10 million other, worse problems in the world-- this is just me asking for fair treatment in my workplace.)

Edit!: Here is also a solution! If there is some reason why you want to touch me-- say you're leaving and you want to give me a hug goodbye-- ask me if it's okay! "Can I hug you?" I will probably say yes! I have a lot of anxieties about being touched by people (mostly because I have been touched without my consent in very serious and damaging ways), but the minute you ask, I feel so much better. Also, if there's ever a reason why you NEED to touch me...like, say, if a meteor is coming my way and you want to shove me out of the way to save my life...well, please do that. :)

The REAL question about the Reason Rally

Now, with the Reason Rally less than a month away, the buzz is really growing. I mean, Richard Dawkins, Tim Minchin, PZ Myers, Taslima Nasrin, James Randi, Adam Savage, Jessica Ahlquist, Greta Christina...and so many more! people will be there. It's going to be super exciting!

But now, there is a real question is weighing in on everyone's minds...what are you going to wear to the Reason Rally?

I mean, you could go to the Reason Rally store and get a Reason Rally shirt, hoodie, and hat...but let's face, it that's a LOT of red. Why not mix it up with some other gear?

You could always get some American Atheists gear, and what's more fitting for the Reason Rally than a shirt that says "Proud to be an American Atheist?"

Okay, okay, maybe you're NOT proud to be an American atheist (some people aren't nationalists, and others don't identify with the word atheist). That's fine! We have other options. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has a plain, but nice, "Freethinker" sweatshirt. Perfectly appropriate for all situations!

But sure, some people want something a little more exciting than "Freethinker." I get that.What about helping support Jessica Ahlquist's scholarship fund with an "Evil Little Thing" shirt? Those are pretty schnazzy, and you can get all sorts of colors and your own choice of font. Really can't go wrong with that!


But woah, wait. Do you really just want to be some boorish person, wearing just clothes? Why not step it up? Surly Amy's store  has some super cool designs for jewelry! One of my personal favorites is a "This Life is Enough" necklace, but she's also introduced a line of Surly Scents, which are scented jewelry! Where else can you get a vanilla scented cupcake necklace? Or for the more chemistry-minded, a necklace with the Jasmine molecular forumla that smells like jasmine? (Having lived in South Africa, where Jasmine grows, I can attest that jasmine smells fucking amazing.) Of course, you can also get earrings or bracelets if necklaces aren't your thing.

But woah! Don't stop there! Say you aren't into jewelry (we're totally beyond conventional gender standards of wearing jewelry, btw)...okay. What about a sweet Sagantine iPhone case? Or a Skeptic sticker to stick on your laptop or car? If you're really into this style (by my good friend ologies), she even has "Starstuff" shirts for sale.

Since part of the Rally is to show that we're here, we're queer atheist, we vote, get used to it, why not show off which political candidate you support? And since most of you don't live on the National Mall, you're going to have to travel to get there...how perfect is this Obama duffel bag?

Or, given that we godless are addicted to coffee, what about the Pharyngula travel mug? (Note: does not come with a real squid.)

I mean, do you REALLY want to show up to the Reason Rally as the boringest person there? I didn't think so. :) Plus, all of the things I listed support great organizations/causes and/or are made by skeptic artists that we should support!

If you need help coordinating an outfit, let me know. I can help you out. :)

Be the hippest person at the Reason Rally! Now the real question is...what am I going to wear to the Reason Rally? You'll have to show up to find out!

Why You Need To Stop Saying We Have No Reason to Worry

Earlier today, I resolved to make this a mainly personal blog, where I would just talk about my own, personal experiences.

Then I started talking with people about how I'm worried about Santorum getting elected, and I was consistently told "not to worry about it." because "there's no way he can actually win."

Well, apparently lots of people haven't seen this poll, which shows Obama losing to Romney nationally 46%-48% and Obama losing to Santorum 46%-49%. I know, there are other polls that show either candidate losing to Obama...but the point is that it isn't out of the realm of possibility for either GOP candidate to win. This is literally terrifying to me.


I also find it noteworthy that everyone who has told me "not to worry" does not have a uterus and therefore cannot be invaded by Republican policies. Not that I'm saying I think these men are not concerned about women's healthcare, but that it is not a real and present danger to them to be unable to get birth control or an abortion. If it weren't for Planned Parenthood, I wouldn't have been able to afford birth control all throughout college. A Republican president would not help that. In fact, they'd make it illegal.


From Mitt Romney's own campaign website..."Mitt believes that life begins at conception and wishes that the laws of our nation reflected that view."


Ron Paul would "Defin[e] life as beginning at conception by passing a 'Sanctity of Life Act'."


Santorum's campaign website is actually hideous and difficult to find anything on, and I don't think it says anything on contraception or abortion. However, we all know he's super anti-choice, and he recently said this about birth control: "It's not OK, because it's a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. They're supposed to be within marriage, for purposes that are, yes, conjugal... but also procreative." 


I'm not even going to post Gingrich's thoughts, because I see him less as a candidate and more as jowls with a person behind them.

I know none of them are medical doctors (OH WAIT), but do they really not understand the reproductive process? If you've taken a high school biology course, you can skip this, but in case you'd like a refresher, here we go. Fertilization is when the sperm meets the egg and they say, "Let's do this." The pregnancy is not really established until the egg implants in the uterine wall (more info on it can be found here). Between 50-70% of first trimester pregnancies end in miscarriage (otherwise known as spontaneous abortion), many of them happening because of improper implantation. So under one of these candidates, would that make them murderers? Accomplices to manslaughter?

That's just on the birth control and abortion issues though. We're not even touching on healthcare reform (which they're all against, despite some of them having previously been for it), gay rights, invading other countries (yeah, yeah, okay, Ron Paul doesn't want to immediately bomb Iran, but the others do), etc. None of these guys are moderates. We need to stop pretending they are. 

In any case, if you think so strongly that Obama will win, I want you to think back on why he won in 2008. Was it because Bush sucked and people thought McCain was too close to him? No, because America didn't suddenly get less stupid. It's because people got excited about him. Especially younger people (it was my first election, I was definitely excited. So excited I ran into a door and broke my toe. I am not kidding.) 

Remember back in 2004, when everyone said Bush was too dumb to win? Care to tell me what happened after that? I can't quite remember, I have those years blacked out. (Although if I'm being honest, I was a Republican until Bush's second term. I grew up in a really conservative area, took until college to get me to break free from my childhood indoctrination-- you know, Rick Santorum's biggest fear.)

What I'm trying to say is that if you are as scared of Santorum and Romney as I am (and I hope you are) that you need to get out and do something. Donate to Obama's campaign. Buy some swag with his name or face on it (I bought a shirt and a collar for my cat today). Become a volunteer for his campaign (I also signed up for that today. Plus if you do that, you get a coupon code for his store.). Don't just sit at home and rely on other reasonable people to get the job done. 

And please don't do the false equivalence thing and say that Obama isn't perfect, so he lost your vote, or that all parties are the same. That is stupid. I know Obama's not perfect, and I'm not thrilled with every single thing he has (or hasn't) done, but that does not mean we should hand the presidency to a guy whose name means frothy mixture. And if you need a reminder, find out What the fuck Obama has done so far. 

I feel the same way about atheism. If you want atheists to have equal rights and keep the separation of church and state strong, become a supporter of any number of great secular organizations (my personal favorites are the Secular Student Alliance and Freedom from Religion Foundation). Go to the Reason Rally. Go to the Lobby Day for Reason. Contact your Congresspeople and let them know that you're an atheist and you vote. Come out to your family. 

Whatever you do, make sure it's more than nothing. 

(Also, did you know, for a donation of $100 or more, you get a sweater vest from Rick Santorum's campaign? This is really upsetting, because I LIKE SWEATER VESTS.)

In Which the Catholic Church Refuses to let me Defect

Well, well, dear readers. If you remember a few weeks back, I posted a blog about my attempted defection from the Catholic Church. A few days ago, I got a letter from the Milwaukee diocese (where I was born/baptized) saying that since I was no longer under their jurisdiction, my letter would be forwarded to the Columbus diocese (where I live now). I didn't think that was noteworthy, so I didn't post anything about it.


Today I got a response from the Chancellor of the Columbus Diocese.

I will transcribe it for you.

Dear Sarah:

Your notice of defection from the Catholic Church was forwarded to Bishop Frederick F. Campbell, Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus of which you are now a resident, from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. I have been asked been asked by Bishop Campbell to respond to your declaration of defection on his behalf.

I wish to first express my sorrow that you have concluded that you desire to defect from the Catholic Church. It is apparent from your postal and email address that you are a student at The Ohio State University [Me: What?], and so I encourage you to seek to speak with a member of the clergy or staff at the St. Thomas More Newman Center to discuss further your concerns and resolution regarding the Catholic Church.

Regarding your notification of defection, I need to explain that it is true that with the implementation of the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church there was a process by which a person's notification of defection from the Catholic Church could be received and that notification would have the canonical effect of recognizing and recording such a defection. With the motu proprio Omnium in mentem, dated October 26, 2009, however, this procedure was removed from the Code with the effect that a person's declared defection can no longer be recognized by the Catholic Church. Given that your declaration was made on November 7, 2011, it is not possible for you to receive confirmation that your attempted defection will have canonical effect or be recorded in your baptism record.

Because of this change in the Canon Law of the Church and the resulting lack of canonical effect, it is equally true that you are prevented from seeking reconciliation with the Church and receiving the sacraments beyond seeking reconciliation with the Church and receiving the sacraments beyond celebrating the Sacrament of Confession. That being stated, any member of the Catholic clergy would certainly respect your declared desire not to receive the ministry of the Church and so it is particularly imporatnt that you communicate your desire to whoever might otherwise contact the Church so long as you persist in the desire declared in your declaration of November 7, 2011.

Sincerely yours,

    Very Reverend Shawn D. Corcoran

So...I have to follow Catholic rules, even though I'm not Catholic? I'm at a crossroads here, dear readers. How should I proceed? I have a few ideas, but I'd like to hear yours. I am considering contacting the clergy member he recommended (or this dude himself) for a face-to-face meeting. Because that would be super fun.
I am also considering writing a letter listing all of things I have done that violate Catholic rules. I think making a comprehensive list would be super fun. If the church won't let me defect, then I will get excommunicated...which will be significantly more fun for me, and probably a lot more annoying for them.

My letter to them would look something like this.

Reasons to Excommunicate Me

• I have had premarital sex while using a condom.
• I use contraception on a regular basis.
• I have acted upon homosexual desires (and will do so again).
• I watch pornography.
• I support same sex marriage.
• I vote pro-choice.
• I have assisted women in getting to a medical center where they can obtain an abortion.
• I actively speak out against the pope's authority.
• I refer to belief in god as "silly, superstitious magic."
• I have not sought reconciliation for over a decade.
• I refused to get confirmed.
• I do not tithe.
• I frequently give money to secular and atheist charities.
• I work for an atheist organization.
• I am an atheist and do not believe in any supernatural deities.
• I organized a book tour for Richard Dawkins.
• I think the Catholic Church is a disgusting and morally reprehensible organization that protects child rapists and has helped spread AIDS in third world countries.
• I will publicly destroy a Bible and a magic Jesus cracker if you will not excommunicate me.

Is this enough to get me excommunicated, you think? Any other suggestions are totally welcome!

Suggestions from people:

• I masturbate. 
• I am engaged to a person of the same sex.
• I deny that the holy spirit exists.
• The bible is made up nonsense.

Intimidation, or: Why We're Going To Win

I'm not quite sure how to begin this story, so I'm just going to warn you about the link I'm going to post: it's definitely graphic.


Today, the Democratic campaign manager for an Arkansas congressional candidate came home to find his family pet dead on the porch with the word "liberal" written on it (NSFL picture in the link). I really don't have words. Well, I do have words, but I'm not allowed to say them on here. 


Really, whoever did this is the scum of humanity. I don't know what would possess a person to murder an innocent animal of someone they disagreed with. I can't stand Rick Santorum but I would never, ever do anything to his pet or innocent family members. What kind of hideous, disgusting person would do such a thing? Honestly...why would you do such a thing? I mean, I know their idea: intimidation. But it's not going to work.


Jessica Ahlquist has been intimidated since she first brought up the unconstitutional prayer banner. From people posting her home address on a news article about her, sending her harassing messages online, and booing her and anyone who agrees with her at city meetings. But guess what, everyone? She still won the lawsuit. 


At my college, when I started an SSA, people tried to intimidate me as well. People posted nasty things about me on Facebook, the student senate tried to stonewall funds, and they vandalized my stuff. But the group is still going strong. In fact, Dan Barker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation is going to give his "Losing Faith in Faith" presentation at my college in early February (if you happen to be in rural Iowa, this is not something you should miss!). Of course, all the posters have been torn down at least 5 times (I am not exaggerating, my old advisor messaged me on Facebook to tell me that). But guess what? No matter how many times you tear down the posters, he's still going to show up. And it isn't going to make his presentation any worse or less true. 


You cannot silence us.


It reminds me of that Gandhi quote: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."


Of course, in Jessica's case, I think some people are coming around. Several clergy members will be holding a press conference to "condemn the treatment and inappropriate language and words used to describe Ahlquist." Good on them. The responsibility isn't on atheists to condemn the the bad behavior of Christians following the lawsuit, it's on Christians. If you want to actually be compassionate people, stop using terrible excuses like "Well they aren't real Christians," and start saying, "Wow, that is completely unacceptable behavior, and no one deserves to be treated like that." (You can also report them to the police.)


Remember to take good news from this. Jessica still won the lawsuit, and the prayer has been ruled unconstitutional (by a Catholic judge appointed by Reagan, no less). Remember to keep fighting for what is right. There are victories to be had. Washington state is set to legalize same sex marriage very soon. Jessica's scholarship fund has over $20,000 in it.


There are good things happening. Just remember that people have to fight to make them happen. Another Gandhi quote to finish up the night: "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

My battle with Cafe Courier

So, dear readers, for those of you who know me, you know that I am a terrible cook. A "oops-I-set-the-kitchen-on-fire" kind of terrible cook. So it should not surprise anyone that I often look to professional food makers to feed me. Since I also don't like going out into the real world (I have Skyrim; why would I need to go outside ever?), I utilize delivery services, which are arguably the greatest thing ever to people like me.


I settled on a service called Cafe Courier. I was fine with them for the most part, until I received an email from them.

 It's your standard Christmas email, "peace and prosperity, we'll be closed, safe new year, blah blah blah." I thought it was nice of them (actually, I thought "WHY DO I GET SO MUCH EMAIL?" but if I didn't get 50 emails a day from companies trying to sell me things, I would have thought that). But wait, what's that bit at the bottom? 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 

 Huh. Well that's...something. I got upset. If this had just been one of those "love everyone" or something kind of Bible verses, then whatever, fine. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth but I wouldn't make a big deal of it. However, this reeks of proseltyzation. 


So I did two things: I emailed them and I posted a Facebook status about it.


My email said: 

Dear Cafe Courier,

 I just wanted to let you know that you've lost my business due to the Christmas email you sent out. I had been a happy customer for a while, but your addition of a Bible verse in your "thank you" email makes me feel ostracized as a non-Christian. I realize it is your prerogative to include religious messages in your private business dealings, just as it is my prerogative to avoid doing business with a religiously-based business.

 My Facebook status said:

Boo. I've been ordering from Cafe Courier a lot since I moved to Columbus, but when they sent me a "thank you" email they included a Bible verse. Ugh. I understand they are free to do that, just as I am free to no longer give them my business.

My Facebook status blew up. Comments ranged from confusion and honest questions to understand to hyperbole that I would now start disowning Christian family members to comments about how horrible the Bible is to suggestions that I am intolerant, with many, many comments in between (it's at 98 comments as I type this). Now, despite the popular idea that I'm bullheaded, I actually do take any and all criticize of my ideas seriously. I try very hard to think things through all the way before I make a judgment or decision, but I could miss something and be wrong. So, when someone suggested that this company is "not necessarily asking you to believe what they do, they're just saying, 'here's a sentiment that I find lovely, and because I find it lovely I wanted to share it with you'." I kept it as a possibility. Maybe that is what they were doing, even though my initial reaction was to think otherwise.Hey, sometimes I overreact and think emotionally rather than logically. I could be wrong.  So I offered up the chance that if their response email (if I got one) was something to that effect, I would keep using this company. 


So imagine my (lack of) surprise when I got this email back from them.

(It reads: "Sorry we offended you. We, however, feel it would be offensive to ignore the meaning of the major holiday that 95% of Americans celebrate. Happy Holidays to you!")

Huh. Well, now that's some condescending, factually incorrect, proselytizing bullshit. 

All my madness has been spent for the day (trust me, it takes a lot of energy being mad at everything all the time), so I was debating whether I should respond to the email or not. And if so, how? Do I correct them that Christmas is not, in fact, because of Jesus? Or how shitty of a business practice it is? Luckily, my friends were on it. 

I posted that response to the status, and one of my friends (who had actually suggested the "maybe they're just sharing because they think it's nice" thing) basically said 

She drafted this up and sent it:

To Whom it May Concern,
In a recent email to a non-Christian client of yours, you gave the least sincere apology ever for offending her with your inclusion of a Bible verse in your holiday greeting. You informed her that ignoring the “meaning” of the holiday was offensive to you because 95% of Americans celebrate it.
While you are correct that 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas, 67% of those people say that their enjoyment of this holiday has nothing at all to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. So that “meaning” you speak of is something that less than 30% Americans celebrate. That in itself is an interesting number given that 60 – 76% of Americans call themselves Christians, yet less than 30% of Americans celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas time. I guess that means that 30 – 46% of Americans are bad Christians, huh?
At any rate, your attempt to foist your religious views on your clientele is unprofessional and offensive not just to the majority of Americans who are not Christians but also to those of us in the 30% minority who do celebrate Christ’s birth. You owe that young lady an apology. A real one this time.
Now, please provide me with the name and contact information of the owner and/or president of your company, so that this issue may be addressed by more than an anonymous mouthpiece.
Sincerely, [Sarah's bad ass friend] 

I feel like she handled it very well. (She's an old friend of mine...in the sense that I've known her for a long time, not that she's old...but I am a bit younger than her so I think the "young lady" part is kind of funny.)  I will post updates if anything further happens. I probably will respond to them, however I think I should calm down first (and do laundry, because I am still in pajamas).


What do you think? Did I overreact? Are they being shitty? If you send them an email, post what you said in the comments.

Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens passed away. He was a great mind, and will be missed. Rather than extolling his excellent writing and speaking skills (because it's already been done), I'm going to share a personal anecdote. However, this obituary from the Onion is hilariously fitting. And if you've never heard him speak, this is my favorite debate of his.

Anyway, I attended the Texas Freethought Convention in Houston this past October, and Hitchens was there to receive an award (a video of it is here). They announced that he would be there to sign books and the line started 3 hours before it was due to start. The line wound literally around the entire hotel (and this was no small hotel, mind you). I was supposed to give a speech an hour before the signing was set to begin, and we cancelled it because the simple anticipation of seeing Hitchens was a far greater draw than seeing this hack talk about something (I don't blame them). 

He signed books, and one person told me the people in front of him were a couple and the woman was visibly pregnant. Apparently the couple told Hitch that they were going to name their son "Hitch" after him. Hitch stood up and hugged them.

Between the book signing and his speech, he stepped outside to have a cigarette with his wife. I was sitting in the bar, talking with a few people, and someone walked in and told us Hitch was right outside. I didn't want to bother him, but I knew I would never have this opportunity again. I walk outside to join a small crowd (probably 6-10 people) already surrounding him. I said, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, and I don't want to make you speak if it will hurt your voice, but I just wanted to say you've been a great inspiration to me and it's an honor to meet you." He clasped my hand in both of his and said (something to the effect of), "No, no, you're not a bother at all, it's things like this that keep me going, so thank you." He then added, "And just remember, if you can't be good, be careful." He then had to go inside, and I stood there, simply awestruck, knowing that I just had an incredible opportunity. I relish that moment, and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to meet him.

He spoke for quite a while, and allowed questions. I had been working with Camp Quest Texas kids all day, and one of the girls stood up to ask a question. She told him she was 8 years old and wanted to know what books he would recommend to her. He asked if her mother was around, and her mom stood up. He said "Good, because I didn't want to ask you to come see me if your parents weren't around." The crowd laughed. He then said, "Come see me after the speech and I'll make you a list of books." After the speech, he spent 15-20 minutes talking to her. 

What a touching, genuine guy. I'll never forget him.

I'm raising  a glass of Johnny Walker Black for him tonight.

(Oh, and people like Rick Warren can kiss my fucking ass.)