Trip to the Capitol
Today I took a bus full of kids to the state capitol for a college “thing”. The kids got to meet leaders of the state colleges and listen to about half an hour of speeches including one by the governor, Janet Napolitano and even had a question and answer session. During the proceedings, held on the front lawn of the government building, I stood back towards the street. When the governor walked out for her part in the event she had her customary body guards. Serious looking men in tan suits with short hair and the tiny DPS pin on their lapel. You can’t mistake them for anything other than body guards. I noticed one particularly large black man in the entourage. He looked like he could be an ex-football player.
While I was standing there, the body guards spread out so they could survey the croud of middle school students for threats; they were standing in typical “body guard pose”. Since this was right out on the street anyone could walk by on the sidewalk. After a while, a man with a thick greying mustache walked up wearing a baseball cap and a large black jacket that was too heavy for Phoenix; his hands thrust into his pockets. I was not the only one who noticed, the large black man lifted his hand to his mouth to speak into the microphone in his sleave. I saw the man ten feet or so to his left move his head slightly in the direction of the sidewalk and give a curt nod. The black man started moving to his right. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to work his way around the crowd or whether he was right where he was supposed to be – almost directly behind the governor. The body guard on the side walk took a step or two backwards toward the street so that he was behind jacket man, who could have just been homeless wearing a donated (but clean looking) jacket and work boots spattered with dry wall plaster or paint. He could have also had something in his jacket besides his hands and fell into an opportunity.
While the body guards made their moves I took a step or two backward. Not knowing if anything was happening or about to happen I figured that I should at least not be in a direct line with him between me and the body guards. He either became nervous, bored or maybe hungry and started walking in the direction that he originally was headed. About that time the governor finished her speech and the body guards starting walking off with her. I noticed the man started running as he reached the corner of the block and around the other corner came the unmarked cars holding four tan suited DPS officers apiece – I hadn’t even seen them until they went by me. I saw that they turned the corner to travel in the same direction as jacket man.
I can imagine them catching up to him, “hey, why are you walking around with your hands in your pockets?” Which is the same question I ask my stepson all the time.
And that was the most exciting part of my day.
