Before Stockholm, but Still Magic : In the Oval Office

We arrived in Washington DC on the evening of November 30. Our program was scheduled for the following day. Our hosts were the Swedish and Norwegian Embassies and their respective Ambassadors - Jonas Hafstrom and Christian Strommen. We were very graciously put up in the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, quite near the stunning Swedish Embassy. (NB The Swedish Embassy is the only open embassy in DC. That is, there is a large, beautiful, glass enclosed area that is open to the public. It is right on the water and so worth going to that you have no excuse now not to visit.) The Four Seasons failed to impress us. First, they didn't have my name, though the embassy liaison took great pains to relay it. They knew we were traveling with children and yet put us in a smoking room (which was the first I realized such rooms still existed in the U.S.) The room, predictably, stank. We were graciously moved, but the experience left us longing for the Georgetown Inn. Fortunately, this was a low point in our trip. As you might expect, a trip where an experience at the Four Seasons is your low point is a dang good trip.

On the morning of the first Jack went to participate in a panel discussion at the Embassy. I thought the boys would do better through the day if they were allowed to sleep in a bit so we met Jack at the Embassy at 11:00 for "lunch." Who eats lunch that early? But it was lovely reception in a private room all the same, and no one seemed alarmed that I was still removing my smudged nail polish in preparation for lunch and our White House visit. Prof. Greider's two children, who are candidates for Sainthood, had gone to the panel discussion and were sitting chatting to each other when we arrived. More on them later. My children did their best to be polite in a room full of adults they did not know in a strange place and presented with strange food. I was quite pleased with them, actually, and how proud they were of their father.


Lunch over, we headed for the bus to take us to the White House. We ended up a bit shy of our intended gate, but I don't blame the embassies for that as we know the Social Secretary, and it turns out, the Protocol Officer at the White House are the weak links in the chain. No matter, it was a short walk to our destination. Mind you, I had a letter to the President from my niece who had planned on mailing it until she heard I was going to meet him and asked, through her mother, if I could it try and give it to his Leadership myself. All was fine until we went through the metal detectors. Since the letter did not fit in my purse and I didn't want it crushed I had it out. It went through the detector on its own and when it came out the other side the Marine there saw that it said To President Obama on it. "Is this for the President?" I was asked. "It's from my niece," I said. "We'll have to check it out." I don't why that hadn't occurred to me, but I'm glad they take precautions. We went ahead into the White House, given visitor tags to wear around our necks as we made our way to the Roosevelt Room. Mind you once in the Roosevelt Room we were told to take them off, lest they mess up the photos. We gladly did.

Perhaps I am a drudge, but I wasn't really taking in the White House ambiance. I was impressed by both the seriousness and the youth of the Marine guards inside the building. I was thrilled by the conversations of the Laureates. It wasn't until I was in the Roosevelt room just off the Oval Office, that I remembered to take a look around. And ask to use a bathroom, as we would be waiting a bit and I had consumed quite the combination of coffee and diet coke. I could just envision that when the time came to meet the President all I would be thinking about was finding a loo. After bringing it up, it turned out I was not the only one who wanted to have an empty bladder. A bit after my return I was given back my niece's letter. I had begun to worry that it wouldn't make it through.

In the Roosevelt Room, appropriately enough, Theodore Roosevelt's Nobel Prize is framed and hung. It seemed quite thin to me and though the Office Science and Technology Policy staffer thought it was only a rim we were seeing I am now more interested than ever in seeing the medal on it's ribbon.

We were told, when we arrived that the President was running ten minutes behind. After that ten minutes passed we were informed it would be another ten minutes. I don't know what was holding up the man, but given that he was preparing to give a critical speech on our plans for troops in Afghanistan and US foreign policy there, I was not concerned. The next event we had was the dinner at Ambassador Hafstrom's residence and that was quite awhile away. In the meantime, my children, husband and I were in a historic place and among stellar company.

As we waited, particularly as the time drew near to go into the Oval Office - yes THE Oval Office, to greet yes, THAT President of the United States - I had two interesting conversations. The first was with liaisons from both embassies who informed me that President Bush had a reputation for always being on time for everything. Now, I normally admire the respect that this shows for others. Still, I wondered if he had perhaps spent more time on the details, on vetting opinions, on second guessing himself might our current president not have so much on his plate. In this conversation it also came to be known that a daughter of a Laureate in some year past had made a remark to President Bush not in keeping with protocol. I think we should feel free to let our presidents know our feelings, and yet, to embarrass the host embassies seems the wrong way to do this. My husband, for his part, has said that if he had won during the Bush tenure he would have declined his invitation. Not that this would not have had it's discomfort, but it would have been preferable. Still, children continue to be invited along and my children were thrilled to meet this president.

After this conversation a staffer came to take the letter to give to the President's aide. Given how it all went in the Oval Office, it was all to the benefit of the letter.

I had practiced with my children before we went to DC, in DC and now we practiced some more in the Roosevelt room. "Pretend I'm President Obama." I stuck out my hand and each child in turn would grasp it firmly but not tightly, look me in the eyes and say, "It's an honor to meet you Mr. President." This was also my planned greeting. I prepared them as well for a question. Politicians and elected officials love to ask children questions and they tend to be these: "What grade are you in?", "What is your favorite subject at school?" I thought it possible, but not probable that he might ask "What do you think of the White House?" As we practiced in the anteroom I asked Prof. Greider's children if they had practiced. They hadn't so I had a go with them and they were game - they didn't even seem embarrassed by this strange lady saying, "Pretend I'm the President." What's more, when one child's hair was poofing up in a spot - shall I mention here that they both have gorgeous hair? - and I smoothed it out he didn't flinch a muscle. I wonder if he used to attention from odd women.

My children for their part, waited with patience and dignity. When we finally made it into the Oval Office it was meant to go so: each Laureate would be introduced to the President by John Holdren, White House Advisor on Science and Technology Policy. The Laureate would have a picture taken with the President and then introduce his or her family in attendance. The family and President would pose for a photo and then move off to the side. This was fine and clear. I was prepared, my children were prepared, I assumed my Nobel Laureate winning husband was prepared. Not so much. But first, back to me. When we entered those ahead of us were still being introduced and I stood there, in the Oval Office, looking at my President, at President Obama, and my knees went wobbly. Pull it together girl, I thought. And I did. As much as can be expected. I walked up on my cue and the President proffered his hand. I took it and said, "It's so very nice to meet you." Hardly my prepared remark. Here is what made me shrink, the President said to me "What is your name?" My husband in his own bit of awe and stupor had forgotten to introduce me. I gave my name and then quickly turned to introduce my son behind me, Eamon Szostak. He offered his hand, looked the President in the eye and said not a word until the President asked him "What grade are you in?" "Fourth," he said softly but clearly. Then Aran came up and introduced himself before I could - the President, probably clear by now that these Laureates and family were not quite used to being in the Oval Office with the President of the United States, any POTUS, never mind one they admire, and were going need to some help through this, had asked Aran his name. Aran answered and then, still holding the President's hand and his gaze he put his tongue to his teeth to say something but lost it. Then the President said "And what grade are you in?" and all was well.

We really were meant to be in and out quite quickly and so, as the Economics, Chemistry, Physics Laureates were introduced, I remembered to look around at The Office. The play scape is not only visible through the windows, it's closer than I had thought. The display of family pictures really is there behind the desk, which is intricately carved. What surprised me was the muted colors of the room, the rug, the walls. I had expected bold blues and gold tone yellows. From the movies? From former occupants? I'm not sure. The Christmas tree was up in the office, with gold ribbons on it. I whispered to my children so they would take in some of the details. Then one of the Laureates, I believe it was Elinor Ostrom, asked the President a question. You don't get to be the first woman Laureate in economics by being reticent. The President graciously answered and the Laureates, I noted, settled in, so I moved with my children more to the side, because, as this question has followed the group photo of the President, Laureates and Ambassadors, the President moved out and now faced away from us, toward the Laureates. For their part, some of the Laureates seemed to me to actually be leaning on the desk. Not my husband, mind you, who was eager to let the President get back to business, but interested in what he had to say. When President Obama said that science and math education are a top priority for his administration "for the next three years," Prof. Ostrom corrected him "Seven." This prompted a round of supportive cheers. "If all my constituents were scientists," he answered, "I would have it made." He was joking, and said it with a laugh. Yet, as his numbers fall in the larger America the Laureates are rallying around him. I think this says a great deal about him; about his intelligence and integrity and the strength that our brightest minds want to give to him. After all, as Cornell West has recently pointed out, great politicians may make themselves, but we the people turn great politicians into great statesmen (and stateswomen.)

Oh, and that other conversation in the Roosevelt Room? John Holdren was waiting with us there for a bit. I kept looking at him thinking, gee he looks so familiar. Then I figured, must be CNN or CSPAN (which I have been known to turn on while I work. I know, wonkish.)
I was waiting and waiting, getting a sense that these are truly great minds in here and heck, I'm married to one of them so I can't be all bad. Mr. Holdren had a pin on. It was cool looking, a dull brass round lapel type. I asked him about it and he said it was from his Office. Then I admitted that he looked incredibly familiar, but of course, it was from CNN, as he wasn't from Cambridge. He moved back ever so slightly and informed me that, yes, he was indeed a former resident of the great city and a Harvard professor. So I asked about how he came to be with President Obama. I won't repeat the whole conversation but here is what impressed me. When the newly elected Senator Obama went to DC he asked his staff to round up the best minds on the science behind global warming predictions. Prof. Holdren was one of those pre-eminent scholars. This is why the Laureates were impressed with this President, and why they were honored to meet him, as he was to meet them. He is a man who believes in science, in skepticism and research.

Later I will tell the tale of the reception at Blair House, dinner at the Ambassador's residence, how my son got to see more of it than I did, how charming the Swedish astronaut is and how my so near to perfect husband ended up in the dog house. Now, to bed. God Natt.