My Personal Teddy Kennedy Story.

Okay, so I don’t have a real Teddy Kennedy Story – but it’s my personal story about Teddy Kennedy. When I was a college student I was an incurable nerd (no. really.).  

While other co-eds were flying off to Cancun and Florida, a good friend and I caught a Greyhound bus to Washington, D.C. 

We had planned a week of touring around the touristy sights – Museums, the White House, more museums – but our main destination, and goal, was to sit in the Senate Gallery and listen to the Senators debate.  

It was the winter following an election year, so there were confirmation hearings and votes going on – and we were able to spot almost all of the Congressmen and women that we had seen on C-SPAN and our little “Congressional Directories” (when I said “nerd,” I meant it) – we were  thrilled to see the elected officials from both parties (see, I’ve always been a bit of a hybrid/paradox politically) – but the one Senator that we couldn’t wait to see was Ted Kennedy. 

The first day we were there the Senate held a roll-call vote to advise and consent the nomination of one secretary (I believe it was Health and Human Services) – and slowly, but surely the Senators filed into the chamber to record their yeas and nays.  And when Ted Kennedy walked in we nearly fell out of the balcony (an usher actually had to ask us to “sit back” in our chairs) – as we craned our necks to see (the) Ted Kennedy chatting with Joe Biden and Robert Byrd. 

After that experience we rearranged our schedules to spend as much time at the Capitol as possible – staying in the Gallery as late as  they would let us (even after hours). 

During the week our confidence grew and we decided that we were going to try and visit Senator Kennedy’s office.  Neither of us were Massachusetts residents, nor had any real business (couldn’t think of one thing) with the Senator – but we were determined to at least get a glimpse of his office. Well, we did.  

And we made total fools of ourselves asking if we could take a picture.  So now I have a picture of the name plate outside his door, and a picture of the reception area of his office.  If you haven’t been there, the walls are covered with the photos that you see only in picture books - It was then that I fully realized that Ted Kennedy isn’t just a member of Congress, or a prominent family, he is a living witness and participant of our nation’s history.  For what he has shared what he continues to do for our country, I am very grateful.