Not Your Sweetie

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by Clearsky on 02/24/2004 06:47:57 PM EST

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I'm going to watching his reactions and responses. And absorbing his words and inflexions, not hers.
That doesn't mean I won't take in hers, but I don't want to miss a flicker of his pupils or even slight motion of those "talking hands" of his by being too concerned with Paula.
I still have too many wondrous memories of how sometimes he's had on, as he calls it, "my general's face" and then, sometimes, as one I recall, early-early when he was on cnn with Aaron Brown, Aaron kept trying to get past that "general's face" and, finally,  Aaron said something to the effect of "I'm sorry General, I was just pushing on you".
Well. And I do mean WELL. Our General's spine straigtened up a bit and he, ever so slightly, went on guard, shoulders slightly leaning in, ever so slightly. Then, Aaron said something to the effect of having been in Vietnam too, but that he was just a grunt, or something like that, and he'd learned why the generals had all of that egg salad on their hats, it was because they were usually right.
Our General didn't relax at all, not a muscle tensed or untensed or moved a fraction of an inch, but a flicker went through the pupils of those non-blinking eyes, ever, ever so slightly.
The interview went on and not much changed. General Clark spoke as that same General, with his general's face on and that body language. But it was the opening to him for that rare bond that developed between them over time.
I mentioned it to a friend then. That Aaron had indeed done what noone elese had done. Gotten through General Clark's fending them off. And a week or so later, we began to see that, indeed, the armor was down some.
It wasn't long after that that General Clark began to relax a bit more with Wolf and others. Not a whole lot, but a lot more than before that time with Aaron. He was becoming more sure that he had some friends there. Didn't need as much armor on his own. 
 But,  more and more with Aaron, he had the measure of Aaron and it was okay with him,  so that by time of those  long wonderful evenings and those final wonderful,  weekends with Aaron and General Clark, just before General Clark left, General Wes was really laughing a lot with Aaron and, as he is when spontaneous, just incredible in his comments. He and Aaron and  were having a grand time of it.  Still professional, both of them, but relaxed and enjoying it.And we were watching, watching, with wonder at it all.
I don't expect that tonight. But, Paula's the least of my concerns. And he doesn't need our protection. He's a grown man and an experienced leader. He can take care of himself. He just wants his audience to hear what he has to say and to believe he's saying it because he means it. And that we'll give it regard and consider it as it is, for the substance, not just as if it's the politically best way to say it.
Clearsky