Staying out of the political spotlight as a former president should.
Via KWTX:
Some Central Texans diners were in for quite a surprise when President Bush showed up for meal at the Coffee Shop Café in McGregor Saturday night.
“This is the first time he’s been back here since he was buying the ranch,” said Donald Citrano, the owner of the Coffee Shop Café.
“Everybody here cheered and loved he was here.”
That included McGregor resident Debbie Hubbard, her husband, Jordan, and their three kids, Jenae, 11, Avery, 9, and Jarrett, 6. The Hubbard family stopped Saturday night at the local café for the very first time after Debbie decided she didn’t want to cook following a long day of swimming.
“It was one of those moments where you’re going ‘oh my gosh that was the president’ but at the same time it was like everyone’s grandpa walked in,” Debbie said.
Debbie said the president ate in a private dining area of the café with his wife, Laura, and two friends. Citrano said the President ordered a famous café burger while Laura opted for “Donald’s Crispy Chicken Salad.”
Hubbard and her husband encouraged their youngest child to go say hello.
“Our youngest, Jarrett, went and asked if he could meet the president, after a pep talk from his parents, “ Debbie laughed. “We were this close and didn’t want to miss an opportunity.”
A secret service agent standing near the president’s table then positioned Jarrett near the soda fountain where President Bush could come out and meet him. Debbie snapped a few pictures of the impromptu meeting, but says she’s still struggling with how to explain to her kids the significance of the surprise meeting in a small country café.[…]
Debbie said the former president took time to visit with every diner before leaving, but there was one conversation she overheard from a soldier eating at a table next to her that she won’t soon forget.
“There was another young couple he turned to and the man was in the army,” Debbie said. “He told him ‘it was an honor to serve you’ and President Bush said ‘thank you for your service, but you didn’t serve me, you served your country.”
Debbie said she’s glad her family got the chance to experience the once-in-a-lifetime encounter, even if it takes her kids a few years to appreciate it.
“What you see is what you get with Bush,” Debbie said. “In a down-home country café saying hi to everyone. The graciousness was so classy.”
HT: Daily Timewaster