You Never Know Who You Will Run Into

Back in January 1995, I had a training course on Capitol Hill. It was fascinating to learn how government works. There were several days of speakers scheduled including a new Congressman, Standing Committee Staffers, a fellow who helped write the new Polish constitution after the Eastern Bloc fell, a member of the Congressional Research Service, professional lobbyist.... the list went on. Our classes

Army Air Force Energy Forum

were in different Congressional office buildings and meeting rooms, and we were able to watch various business and debates being done in the Senate and House of Representative chambers. At the time, I thought every adult should have to take a class like this - there was no way kids could appreciate all of this when they were in school. It was an interesting time because that was right after the new Congress convened following the big swing after the election the previous November - some things really don't change - there have always been swings. One minor memorable event was getting disoriented in one of the Senate Office buildings trying to find my way back to the conference room we were meeting in. As I walked down one of the halls, I remember passing Senator Nancy Kassebaum - as we walked by each other, she smiled. I never realized how short she was - when you see notable people on television, camera angles and adjustable chairs make all sorts of adjustments to equalize everyone.There were other members of Congress that were out and about near the Capitol - if you watched McNeil Lehrer News Hour, many were recognizable from seeing them in interviews on television.

In the audience at the forum

At the Army-Air Force Energy Forum, there were many more civilian-dressed people than those in service uniforms. It was noted in the opening plenary session, that former Senator John Warner was in the conference room. In addition to Congress membership, he was once the Secretary of Navy, and at the Navy Energy Forum this past autumn, he spoke right before me (1). So it was notable to me, that when the panel I was a part of at the forum took our places at the front of the session room, Senator Warner was in the first row to listen. Lunch followed, and when one of the other panelists and I were heading into the ballroom to eat, Senator Warner stopped to talk with us - particularly her - as we were entering. (he didn't think it is as easy to get up to production for the aviation biofuels as it was for ethanol from corn grain.) Washington, D.C. is an interesting place - you just never know what you will see or who you may run into.
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(1) I have always thought it would be a catchy statement to say that my presentation was right after John Warner's, but in reality, he was the main speaker and left right after his talk, while I was on a panel that had a break between the Senator's time and ours'.