Mr. Antosy Goes To Washington
Starring Jim Antosy

My recollections of that day and the way this all happened surely means to me that it was a signal from heaven. I haven't exactly figured it out yet but it must mean something. That morning I was sleeping in and I received a phone call downstairs at about 11o'clock. Robin brought the phone upstairs and I answered it. After I was done on the phone and now awake pretty much, I did what I normally do and that is turn on the TV and check the stock report. While I was watching this report the reporter started talking about the explosions at the American Embassies in Africa that morning and so I turned to CNN to watch since that was the first time I was hearing anything about it. CNN was reporting from the Rose Garden of the White House and there was this man on the podium with the seal of the President of the United States on it giving a speech and he looked awfully familiar, but I still am not quite awake and so it doesn't hit me for a second, Robin who is sitting next to me on the bed says very calmly that the person is Jim, like in my brother Jim, and I go nuts. The first thing I am thinking is maybe when I wasn't looking for the last 20 years that maybe Jim is working for the CIA and never told me or anybody. I call Pat at work and told him to go to the nearest television and tell me what he sees and he does, he calls me back and he agrees. Yep it is Jim alright. Well anyway Jim gets done giving his speech which I can't hear anyway because CNN not knowing that is my brother is talking about that little problem in Africa, he then turns around to shake the hand of the man standing behind him who happens to be the President of The United States and sits down right behind the President. Now I am really in a tissy trying to find out what in the world my brother is doing at the White House, so I make a few more calls and finally talk to my sister-in-law Joanne and she tells me that the previous day Jim had told Chris and her what was going on. So at least now I know he isin't working for the CIA. It turns out that the day before (Thursday) Jim is informed that he is being asked by the Government to go to Washington to witness the signing of a bill. A few years ago Jim worked for a company that went bankrupt and when that happened he lost his job, but a program run and financed by the State of Pennsylvania called PENCARD helped him to finish his education and retrain him so he could get a better job. He was on the deans list at Alvernia College and now has a fine job working in Lancaster. Well that week a bill was passed in the Congress that will now allow federal money to be involved in this program, and because he was so successful in his attempts to graduate from college which he did when he was 50 (congrats) he was selected to be in Washington and witness the signing. However things didn't go exactly according to plan. Jim goes to Washington and is put up in a very nice hotel, and that evening at about 11 o'clock he received a phone call from one of the White House Press Secretaries asking him if he wouldn't mind introducing the President of the United States at the signing of this bill, and by the way could he also write a 8 minute speech to go with it. That's all, nothing. The next morning he is picked up at his hotel by limosine and taken to the Labor Department where he meets the Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman and where he finished his speech. He then is taken from the Labor Department to the White House and is ushered into the Roosevelt Room, from there you know where he goes next? Into the Oval Office to meet the President up close and personal. After that everyone heads for the Rose Garden while the Marine Band plays Hail to the Chief and that is where I saw Jim that morning.

Tim Antosy

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