Past Presidents Passing

Last week all remaining Presidents of the USA gathered together in the Oval Office for the photo op with our soon to be new President B. Obama. They wished him well & success. It triggered a memory from the past. Circa Early January 1972. Cold with no snow in my Hometown of Castleton/Schodack N.Y.. Pres. Johnson had died on the heels of President Truman. There was a custom back then at the State Capitol for a twenty one gun salute at sundown for I believe five days following the death of a President. The cannons located on the front lawn of the Capitol Bld. boomed out their tribute. The sound traveled down the hudson river valley and could be heard in Castleton. I heard the echoing sound rumble as I got out of my car to visit home for the weekend. I was a college student at the time. I must say I had my differences with LBJ when he was the President but now I felt an odd passing of time. My uncle came out of the house and commented that Nixon stood alone.......we had no X Presidents left. Watching the X's on TV this week was oddly comforting. I like having some former Presidents around. Perhaps it was that cold January day......my discomfort over being pinned down on career decisions.....or just to this end we all must come. Whatever the reason is....... it is best not to go through our political discourse in isolation. Goes for life as well.