I received an email invite from the Governor's office. (by the way, I've thought for years that that the whole holiday card tradition needed to go electronic, and think Paperless Post has finally succeeded) I decided to turn it into an educational evening for my daughter. After all she was my campaign manager.
When I told her that she was going to meet the governor at a special occasion, it started a whole preparation process. We had to select what we were going to wear, including accessories. She laid everything out along with a pair of three-inch heels, in a spot in the house protected from cat hair. We practiced shaking hands and greeting other elected officials.
 |
| The 1942 FDR shot in front of the player piano. |
We did meet no less than twenty-five or thirty mayors, a handful of legislators, and the governor's key staff members. Walking around in those three inch heels must have been hard, but I could tell she was proud to stand tall and speak eloquently to so many elected officials.
A woman started taking our picture. I thought maybe she was taking pictures for the Colorado Statesman or something. The mansion was packed with people. The lighting was dim, and the pictures didn't turn out that well.
 |
| The 1952 Truman shot with one of many Christmas trees. |
On a wall in a back room were photographs of all the governors that had lived there. We talked about all the history that must have been made in that building over the years.
So, as we went around from room to room, this woman kept taking our picture, and each shot roughly lined up with a different decade in history.
My daughter finally did get to meet Governor Hickenlooper, and she has held on to his advice, which I'm sure she'll remember for a long time.
Perhaps even more inspiring, was a long conversation that she had with the governor's Deputy Chief of Staff, Kevin Patterson.
She had been working on a couple of inventions regarding solar panels (and even dismantled a solar powered calculator in the process) but when she talked to adults about it they would laugh it off. When she explained the invention to Kevin Patterson though, he said that he was so impressed with her idea, that they would have to bring it up in the Governor's Energy Office. From that moment on, she was on cloud nine.
We talked about getting a regional US Patent office in Denver, and she was motivated to get back to work on her invention.
We drove back up the canyon road, to our small town in the mountains that night, inspired to make the world a better place.
The best part about mayoring today?
"Daddy, It's a good thing the governor has such a big house like that."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because there are so many people with good ideas in Colorado."
[Here is a Video Valediction] Here is The Beatles in 1965 performing I Feel Fine at Shea Stadium. The song marks one of the first times that guitar feedback was used in a recording. I would sing this song to my daughter when she was an infant. [What is a Video Valediction?]
Perhaps even more inspiring, was a long conversation that she had with the governor's Deputy Chief of Staff, Kevin Patterson.
 |
| The 1962 Kennedy (or maybe Jackie-O) shot on a throne. |
She had been working on a couple of inventions regarding solar panels (and even dismantled a solar powered calculator in the process) but when she talked to adults about it they would laugh it off. When she explained the invention to Kevin Patterson though, he said that he was so impressed with her idea, that they would have to bring it up in the Governor's Energy Office. From that moment on, she was on cloud nine.
We talked about getting a regional US Patent office in Denver, and she was motivated to get back to work on her invention.
We drove back up the canyon road, to our small town in the mountains that night, inspired to make the world a better place.
 |
| The 1972 Nixon Era Polaroid. |
The best part about mayoring today?
"Daddy, It's a good thing the governor has such a big house like that."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because there are so many people with good ideas in Colorado."
[Related Story: US Regional Patent Office in Denver]
[Here is a Video Valediction] Here is The Beatles in 1965 performing I Feel Fine at Shea Stadium. The song marks one of the first times that guitar feedback was used in a recording. I would sing this song to my daughter when she was an infant. [What is a Video Valediction?]
