To All the Presidents, Everywhere

Happy President's Day!

I'll confess that this holiday doesn't make me think of our nation's top executive so much as it reminds me of my friend Ned. From the time he was a little kid, Ned wanted to be president. The best training for this, he believed, was to be president of smaller things so that when the time came to run the country, he'd be ready. So...

Ned was president of his junior high drama club, the math team, and his high school student council. As an adult he's been elected top dog of his local chamber of commerce and the committee to bring Christmas trees to kids in the hospital. He runs his condo association, a businessman's breakfast group, and the board of a local animal shelter. If you ever want to know who's in charge, look for the guy with the name tag that says "Hi, I'm NED."

I'm not sure he'll ever reach his ultimate goal, but still, I love what he's done. Setting his sights high inspired Ned to take on a lot of things he might not have bothered with otherwise, and I think the people who know him have benefited from his courage. I love the idea that we can still pursue wacky and outlandish dreams even once we're grown up.

So here's to you, Mr. President!