Scandalous

I am back Dear Reader. I am back. There was no way around the Great Firewall of China while I was in Shanghai so I could not post while I was there. Not that I necessarily would have. So I took notes. Forty-one pages of notes from which to keep busy here for a little while. At least. Here now, installment number one of my experiences at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China.

Let's get to the reason for the title of this post. Shall we? We shall.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver showed up at the Gaodian Bowling Center one day. She was to present awards for one of the bowling divisions. Prior to the start of the presentation, her personal assistant asked Dennis, the Head Bowling Coach for Team USA, to select an athlete to meet Mrs. Shriver. He picked one of my guys, Tony. I went with him. My head was spinning. This was the Special Olympics equivalent of an audience with the Pope afterall. And then we were there. I handed one of her assistants my camera as we took our seats on either side of the founder of Special Olympics on a sofa. I was numb. I introduced Tony, and then myself. I told her she was a goddess for what she has accomplished for the intellectually disabled. After a couple minutes, it was over. I couldn't wait to see the pictures. Upon return to Oregon I found that a photo of the encounter made it to the Team USA web site. And therein lies the scandal. Look close Dear Reader. Look close. Then remember, she is a Kennedy.