Meeting the Man

As you may know, I am in Virginia working for an organization called Prison Fellowship. This has been a great job and a great place to work.

I am working with the group called Justice Fellowship. We are the policy reform arm of PF. In my job, I research what is going on in the world of criminal justice reform both in the states and in the federal government. It is a very interesting topic. I am intrigued by working on an issue that I have typically thought of as liberal.

It has been a great learning experience, but things got interesting this week when I met the man that makes it all happen.

See, PF was started by Charles Colson, the well-known Christian author who famously worked in the Nixon White House. Mr. Colson went to prison after pleading guilty to an obstruction of justice charge. As a result of the Watergate investigation, God was able to get Colson's attention and use it to bring him to salvation. As a new Christian, God used the time in prison to show him the need for change in the way the United States handles incarcerations.

I should also mention that my first real interest in political science - and my first serious look at politics as a career - came after reading his autobiography Born Again. He is on my short list of people I have to meet.

Flashforward to last Thursday.

Although Mr. Colson no longer works in the day to day operations of PF, he is still a very strong influence in the organization. Oh, and he was in town.

Let me start by saying that I was very professional in everything I did on Thursday. I even wore a tie. Not for Mr. Colson. Just because...

Anyway, first thing, two of my friends and fellow interns ran to my desk to tell me that they had met Mr. Colson. They recounted every last detail of their conversation. Needless to say. I was jealous.

So, extremely nonchalantly, I meandered over to my supervisor's desk - which just so happens to be right outside the door to Mr. Colson's office. And there he was. Signing books at his desk. I played it cool. Don't worry. I moved on before his assistant caught me snooping.

After lunch, it had been something like 5 hours in the office with Mr. Colson - he didn't know I existed. Epic failure.

Well, things started turning around for me when I went back to my supervisor's desk with a legitimate question. I repeat LEGITIMATE. After she answered my question, she took me in to talk to Mr. Colson.

As we made the 2 foot walk to his office, I realized that I was chewing a piece of gum. How unprofessional! I couldn't let this be the first thing he saw. So, I did what any 24-year old who is about to meet his hero would do in that situation - swallowed it. Unfortunately, my gum decided to hang around somewhere in the neighborhood of my esophagus. Just keep that in mind as you think how awkward it was.

I was nervous at first. My knees were doing that trembling thing that they used to do when I played baseball and knew I couldn't hit a certain pitcher... But I played it cool so that he would not know I was nervous. I probably had a weird look on my face something akin to someone on laughing gas.

We had a nice little chat. He asked where I was from and where I went to school. When I told him I went to the George Bush School at Texas A&M (Whoop!)

"Where you go to school"
"Texas A&M"
"What do you study?"
"Public Administration"
"Is that more theory or application?"
"It is more on the application side."
"So you want to go into politics?"
"Actually, yes."
"Thats good, the government is always getting bigger."

I wasn't sure what to think, but he must have liked what I said because when I ran into him later, he not only remembered my name he said:

"You like politics. So I remembered your name."

Mission Accomplished.




PS. The second encounter was classic. If you are lucky, one day I will share it with the blogosphere.