Bill Clinton

It was the last year of Bill Clinton's presidency. I was visiting my step-Dad on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts when we got word that he was on the island. We have a friend who lives on a golf course on the island, and she tipped us off that she had seen the Secret Service all around her house. Rushing over there, we were stopped by a boat load of Secret Service. Being about 10, I gave them the "little kid" look, which can get about anyone. After frisking us, he decided I wasn't the type of 10 year old kid that would try to kill the president. Going right up next to the fairway, we waited and waited. Suddenly, we saw a golf cart pull up, surrounded but five other carts. Looking carefully, we noticed it was Bill Clinton. After about five minutes of practice swings (thinking he was good), he stepped over the ball and swung at the ball. I heard something land in the grass to my left, about 20 feet off the fairway. Through the wind, I heard a voice screaming, "Damn!" and looked up to find the president slamming his golf club down on the ground. As the president came by, the Secret Service let me go over and get his ball. As I returned it to him, he thanked me and shook my hand. My grandparents had heard that he was on the island but never believed I would see him. Jokingly they said, "If you see him, make sure you say we voted for him." Well, I did just that. As I shook his hand, I looked up and said, "My grandparents voted for you." After about a five minute conversation between him, my mom, and me, he gave me the ball and a pack of autographed "Presidential M&Ms" which I still have today. He must have taken a gimme, because he threw the ball back onto the fairway to hit again. After more of those "practice swings," he hit the ball again, only to hear a splash and see ripples in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 feet off the other side of the fairway. When I got home the following week, I was the star of my little known town. Papers like the New York Times had articles like "Neighboring Boy Meets President" and my home town papers had, "Local Boy Meets the Man." It was great. And to this day, I don't lie to my friends by saying that Bill Clinton was good at golf, because from the looks of it, nothing was going to save him.