Today was the funeral for Barbara Bush. I didn’t get to see it because I was shooting some family photos. While I was at the office I looked back at the photos from 2002 when she came to Harding as an American Studies speaker. 2002 was the year we went fully digital with photography when I got a Nikon D1X from my friend Jennings Osborne. When I pulled up the digital files there were no reception photos, only dinner and presentation photos. I went to the scans that Abby has done of all our color prints and there were some missing rolls in 2002. When I pulled the negative box the missing rolls were the Barbara Bush reception photos. We had given all the prints away to the people at the reception. I was happy to see in the negatives that I did have a photo of me with Mrs. Bush. When I scanned the negative I knew why I didn’t remember the photo. It is out of focus. One of the secret service agents took the photo for me and the camera focused on the background instead of us. I had to shoot film of the reception because in early 2002 my local photo lab, The Color Lab, couldn’t print digital files yet. I used The Color Lab for years and I still miss seeing Dave,Debbie, Diana and Arnold. My memory of that night with Mrs. Bush is much like everyone else’s memories of her. She was a strong bold woman that loved her family and loved her country.
Laura Bush was on campus Monday night to speak as an American Studies speaker and she gave a family update and mentioned that Bar was strong and still fighting. Tuesday, flags were at half mast because Former First Lady Barbara Bush had passed away.
I am thankful that I have gotten to meet Barbara Bush, George H. Bush, George W. Bush, Laura Bush, and a large number of other great Americans and world leaders. I never imagined being a University Photographer would take me to so many places and give me the opportunity to meet so many people.
