Today was/still is the Hillary Rodham Clinton book signing at RJ Julia, our new indie bookstore in Middletown, CT. It is associated with Wesleyan University but is a great anchor for Main Street which is already vibrant. RJ Julia’s original and still successful spot is in Madison, CT. They have a long history of book signings. For a just recently opened site — getting Madam Secretary is a major coup.
Soooo, I got to the line at 8:40 a.m. Book signing was to begin at 11:00 a.m. I brought The New Yorker edition with the Hollywood rapist guy article and Jane Mayer’s piece on Pence figuring I’d go insane on a line for hours with nothing to read. I read part of a Talk of the Town essay then had the real talk of the town with folks in line.
A great guy (maybe 25) who works for the local Chamber of Commerce — NOT anything like the national one. He interned for the Clinton Climate Change Initiative and does canvassing under a program initiated by our Senator Chris Murphy. Then there were the retired teachers — despise with a white hot passion the Perv. Then there was the choral director from a local high school who brought her daughter and three freshman boys from her classes.
The boys were completely animated about political issues — and trust me, they were more informed than a lot of our media. They’ve already been out canvassing. After about an hour a mob of protesters (6 women and one guy carrying an American flag) marched down the opposite side of Main Street (we’re talking about old time 4 lane wide Main Street). One of the boys said he’d like to go over and confront them. The choral director said they had a perfect right to protest. If you want to ask them polite/respectful questions then O.K. Choral director’s daughter kept saying: “Why are they here? This is a book signing.” Indeed.
Off the boys went — 40 minutes later they were back with the classic Fox News responses — mind you, all the protesters were women. One of the boys asked about the Access Hollywood tape. He was shocked that one of the women said the word, pussy to them. Then the same woman said it was ok because the Perv was a civilian. I said to no one special — well, good thing Ted Bundy wasn’t running for office because all his murders would just be a civilian thing. One kid loved that and wanted to go back and we convinced him not to.
Line moves for real and is rather steady. My first glance at Hillary gave me a shock that I was there. I’m no fan girl of anyone but my eyes started filling up. Four people in front of us, a mother had her 5 year old daughter. We had watched her dance around in front of the Church singing songs for a couple of hours. Most people got a hand shake and a few seconds to say something. Hillary stopped and her face lit up and she talked to that child for almost a minute. Spectacular.
My turn, thanked Madam Secretary for her service and then told her I had to move along before I blubber on the book she was signing. Chamber of Commerce guy told her he interned with the initiative and she spent very interested time with him. I told him how jealous I was but he deserved the extra attention.
Then got my signed copy of What Happened and then the children’s version of It Takes a Village which I had planned to give to the neighbors with the 5, 2 year olds and 6 monther. Then I looked at the signatures. Hillary did the fast sig — Clear Hillary then R C for What Happened— in the children’s book she has a clear Hillary Rodham Clinton. Sorry — I’m awful and selfish — I’m keeping that one and will buy the neighbors another copy for the holidays.
Bonus — Huma Abedin was there — when we passed her — Chamber of Commerce guy heard them talking about where to eat. He apologized for overhearing and gave them suggestions right across the street. Huma was so grateful and lit up — beautiful. Choral director asked Huma if she could take a picture of her with her daughter — happily obliged.
Today was perfect weather day in Middletown, Connecticut. For me — utterly memorable because of genuinely normal sane funny folks, great cops, secret service and even the snipers didn’t have to do anything.
Thank you, Madam Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Thank you for being the woman who will always inspire women and girls.