16 Minutes with First Lady Michelle Obama! Part 4 – Final
MEETING #4 – 7 minutes 30 seconds
Alice and I were fortunate to ride from the Hillside community center event in the First Lady’s motorcade to the United States Olympic Committee’s Training Center.
Now, we were NOT in the First Lady’s car, we rode with Senator Michael Bennet another honor in itself.
[image-shortcode url=”https://johnregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/first-lady-part-04-02.jpg” size=”33″ caption=”Mrs. Obama and I speak about a business issue.”]I had not been in a fast moving motorcade since I represented the United States as track and field athlete in the CISM Games in Rome.
The motorcycles leap frog each other to stop traffic and clear the intersections. It is a sight to see as well as awesome to be in.
Once at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) the special guest lined up in a receiving line to take photos with the First Lady. Since I was emceeing the program I was asked to line up with Alice at the front to get our 2nd photo with her.
I was able to speak to her about a few business issues at this point and we chatted for about 2 minutes.
I then went to find a quiet place to review my notes for the opening ceremonies of the 3rd Annual Warrior Games Presented by @Deloitte.
As emcee I had the distinct honor of welcoming all the distinguished athletes from the Army, Marines, Navy, Coastguard, Air Force, Special Operations Command, and the British Military as well as three of four notable guests we had on stage. Mr. Scott Blackmun, CEO of the United States Olympic Committee, Mr. Robin Lineberger, CEO Federal Government Services Deloitte, General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs; and of course First Lady Michelle Obama. General Dempsey had the honor of introducing the First Lady.
As I introduced the others on the program to speak I would take the seat of that speaker. I eventually found myself seated next to the First Lady.
She was fanning herself on the stage like she was in an old southern church. It was hot out there. Most people thought she was fanning the smoke out of her face from the lighted torch flame sitting a top one of the mangled beams from the World Trade Center that had not been extinguished, but in reality she was fanning a small bee that had infiltrated the Secret Services perimeter and no fly zone.
When the torch relay began down Olympic path she quickly moved to her cued space to great each of the athletes.
When she came back on stage I remembered what one of her aids had told me. He said, “there are two water bottles under the podium. The one of the far left is FLOTUS’.”
I leaned over to her and said, “First Lady, now they (your staff) told me that the bottle of water on the far left is yours. Don’t try to get it twisted and drink from mine which is right next to it.”
She laughed, “Thanks, good looking out!” she said.
After her remarks, which concluded to the warrior athletes with, “Now, really, I know you’re here to compete but you all be careful out there,” I heard General Dempsey say as I was walking back to up to the podium and passing Mrs. Obama as she was taking her seat, “that last comment had the mother instinct come out of you.”
I took those words and began my closing with them, “First Lady had the mother come out of her with those last words! I began, “Now you all be careful out there!” I gestured point my finger to the crowd. They loved it. The laughter from the Warriors filled the Olympic / Paralympic pathway. But I dared not look back at the First Lady because she might have been pointing her finger at me. Someone later told me later that she was smiling too. Whew! I had just survived a “dig” on FLOTUS!
[image-shortcode url=”https://johnregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/first-lady-part-04-03.jpg” size=”50″ align=”right”]But her words reminded me of how important family is to the healing process of people who are going through change. Families are concerned with the total recovery of their War fighter and they are concerned.
I related a story to the audience about how my wife Alice really stopped my negativity about my own injury and how she really moved my needle in a new direction.
After the First Lady heard those comments and at the conclusion of the ceremony she made a bee line to Alice to thank her for her service and sacrifice. Now, that’s just cool!
So, there you have it. As I stated from the beginning we have a First Lady who is classy, genuine, respectful, intelligent, and who cares her heart.
As I continue to use the words of sports caster Stuart Scott, “Mrs. Obama is cool like the other side of the pillow!”
That is our First Lady of the United States – Michelle Obama.
Thanks for reading!
[image-shortcode url=”https://johnregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/first-lady-part-04-04.jpg” size=”100″ align=”center” caption=”John beams as he escorts FLOTUS off the stage!”]
The Non-Marginalized Father
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” – Charles Wadsworth
My Dad, Rev Donald B. Register, is one of those men who parallel a vocal, reasonable and silent leader. I am very fortunate to have grown up with a man who was part of the cloth but at all times a father to his children. He parented three boys to the best of his abilities. Though work was often pressing he made sure to catch the Lake Street El from downtown Chicago to make our baseball, football, or track practices in Oak Park, IL. I know it was tough for him to always make it, but It was always a great surprise and a confidence boost to see him peering over the fence or sitting in the stands as I went through practice drills with whatever team I happened to be on at the time.
When I was playing cello with the high school orchestra or singing in the choir my Dad was always a fixture in the audience supporting my aspirations.
I now follow his example with my own family. When my son John Jr. had practice for basketball or soccer, I ensured that to the best of my ability I was there for both the practices and the games. I have elevated that with my daughter Ashley to be an assistant coach on her team. Not a parent to interfere but always to offer encouragement to a young person maturing into her own adolescence. I even enjoyed watching my son Ron play sports the short amount of time he spent in our household.
The older I get the more I understand many of the pressures my Dad must have felt trying to balance work and family. And, I can attest, it is not an easy thing to do.
There is a grave responsibility on fathers who raise their children, but it appears that I find fewer fathers out there who are like my dad and more who disengage with their families. When I sit in the stands I don’t see Mom’s or Dads at Basketball practices, or volleyball scrimmages. I often find myself taking several players home from practice and dropping them off.
I look at caricatures of Homer Simpson or Al Bundy and I see more and more fathers playing the buffoon and the object of ridicule and less of the supportive, nurturing, loving steadfast parent in the home that I was accustomed too.
I know it just wasn’t me because where I grew up I saw other Dads out there supporting their sons and daughters.
Albert Mohler wrote a piece entitled, [1]“Watch out for the Myths about Fatherhood” in 2009. In it he talks about some of the myths that need to be busted such as the, Mr. Mom surge, 50-50 between work and family life, divorce impacts on children, and dispensable dads. I won’t go into any of these in this blog, but if you want to read the article by Mr. Mohler please hit the footnote link at end this blog.
I will rather spend the rest of this article talking about an interview I had with one single Dad who really makes it work for his children.
So, often our society praises single moms getting it done but we do not hear about the super single Dads who knock it out of the park on a day to day basis.
[image-shortcode url=”https://johnregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/robert-caruso.jpg” size=”100″ align=”center”]Let me introduce you to inspirer Robert M. Caruso who goes by the handle @Fondalo on Twitter. Robert is a social media guru and can also be followed on his website www.bundlepost.com.
I caught up with this busy man while I was outside of the Fort Carson Post Exchange. No, he was not there he was in his home state of Oregon getting ready to pick up his daughter and he had a few minutes to chat by phone about how he holds it down as a single Dad.
Mr. Caruso has a 3 year old son who he sees 30% of the time due to Oregon state school laws and a 13 year old daughter who he sees 50% of the time.
I asked him a series of questions and voraciously wrote down his responses. I am paraphrasing.
Me: One myth is that Fathers are more concerned with work than they are their families. With your busy schedule and always being “plugged in” on social media how do you make time for the kids?
Robert: “What you prioritize is where you spend your time. I find myself telling other people this in my business but I have to practice in myself. Most of the job I do keeps me plugged in about 80% of the time, but that time can really be in any physical location. So, I can play with my son on the floor and then get up for a quick answer to a question.”
Me: What are your greatest challenges as a Dad?
Robert: “My 3 year old son needs a lot of attention, more so than my 13 year old daughter who is really self-sufficient. Really, she is very helpful. But my son needs to know I am there for him at this stage.”
Me: 13 year old daughter and self-sufficient don’t seem to go together in the same sentence can you elaborate?
Robert: “I was sitting with her doing homework when she was 6 or 7 and we noticed some teens sitting nearby causing a bit of a commotion. She looked up at me and said, “Dad, why are teens so stupid.” I just said that hormones take over. I have never had a problem out of her. I think that what you invest in your children is what you get out. Kids need love and discipline.”
Me: Do you have any advice for other single Dads out there?
Robert: “My advice is really directed at all Dads whether they are single or not. Men are being marginalized. Society looks at men as idiots or the butt of jokes. You can look on sitcoms. We are played as out of touch or the comic relief.
The impact is that we are diminished in the eyesight of our children and we accept it by walking away and not raising our own kids. My advice to fathers is that we must be involved with our kids. We have to show them that we want to be involved, engaged, and an active part of their lives. Our kids are watching how we act with them and if we get it right, they will repeat it.”
I thank Robert for this interview and his wonderful insights for all of us Dads out here who are striving to be better leaders, followers and parents.
In closing I salute my Dad, Rev Donald B. Register, for always being there for me physically, emotionally and spiritually.
If you are a Dad continue to love your children and ensure they know that you want to be a part of their life.
Happy Father’s Day All!
[1] http://www.religiontoday.com/columnists/al-mohler/watch-out-for-myths-about-fatherhood-11604985.html