I Met Al Gore Yesterday

Every year the overwhelmingly bureaucratic institution that controls my profession hosts a national convention. This year San Antonio hosted the AIA in what was, I admit, actually worthy of it's hype. It was a whirlwind of a half week as 25,000 architects from around the world descended upon our unsuspecting city. There were tours, seminars, book signings, events, great networking, and the largest hoard of exhibitors to ever grace our bustling convention center. Despite my animosity toward the conformist agenda of the AIA, I couldn't help but sink my teeth into these glorious opportunities to perhaps better myself.

The convention's theme was "Growing Beyond Green" - a nod to the ever expanding necessity to make green architecture, thereby possibly giving hope for the survival of our way of life. No one understands this concept better (over 50% of the world's carbon emissions are derived from the building sector) than the Honorable former Vice President Al Gore, who was the last of several notable speakers at the convention.

I had been looking forward to being in the presence of this democratic luminary for months and months. But given that there were thousands of others equally enthusiastic about absorbing his energy, the competition was fierce, and I didn't know if I would attain my goal of meeting him face-to-face.

I spent hours in line yesterday on two separate occasions. He would be signing only 700 books and luckily, I was the 466th person in line. We were told by the convention volunteers that he would not be signing any personalizations, just his name, and that we had to have our books open to page four, and that we would be ejected from line if we attempted taking pictures because the glimmering flashes in the crowd disrupted his aura or something.

"Would we be able to talk to him", I begged?

Thankfully yes, though very briefly. I wanted to say something memorable, and not just plead for him to run for president which 465 people in line before me did. Not that I don't think this would be a terrific idea, but the only way I could express this in a way that he might remember would be to rip off my t-shirt to expose the phrase "DRAFT GORE 2008" scribbled across my chest in black sharpie, and even I am not that crazed.

My absolute dream statement would have been, "Mr. Gore, I was a disenfranchised Florida voter in 2000, would you, er, could you forgive me?"

To which my dream response of his would have been, "That's ok - I'm sure you've done everything you could since then to restore the integrity of our democracy."

As I stood next in line, inches away from the hero-candidate-of-redemption, I watched in awe as the Costa Rican women in line beside me who I had spent hours getting to know, expressed their admiration of him in Spanish and he replied in Spanish.

This distracted me from uttering the sure fire attention-getter, "Hey - aren't you that guy from Futurama?", and instead I dove into a pit of gushiness to proclaim, "Mr. Gore, it's an honor and a privilege," as he warmly shook my outstretched hand, before scrawling his name across page four of my new book.

I then promptly bolted upstairs toward the ballroom to wait in another long line to see his keynote address. We all assumed he would simply regurgitate his Academy Award Winning-Global Warming powerpoint presentation. Instead, he did away with visual aides, and by only eying his notes but twice during the hour and half to which he spoke, he communicated his visions for a better tomorrow and that it could be attained if we, as architects, step up to the plate. It was, I thought, a very impressive oration, as well as startling proof that this man should be in charge.

One can only hope that someday this prophecy, for the sake of our children, will manifest itself upon my reality. But until then, I guess it's up to me, an aspiring architect, to heed his call.

Comments

[daddio]

Wow, 'at a boy. You made your commitment or reinforced your commitment to sustainable living. What a concept! What a country! You are the man! You got my vote.

[Ms. Brenna, queen of oreo blizzards and other sundry calorie-filled delicacies]

OH MY GOD!!!! YOU MET MY HERO! How cool!!! That man is 100% badass. It pains me to think of how different the world would be today had his presidency not been stolen from him by the supreme court. *sigh*

[Ms. Brenna, queen of oreo blizzards and other sundry calorie-filled delicacies]

OH MY GOD!!!! YOU MET MY HERO! How cool!!! That man is 100% badass. It pains me to think of how different the world would be today had his presidency not been stolen from him by the supreme court. *sigh*

[Sharon]

My dream question to Mr. Gore:
"Ohmygod! Like, what it's like to work with Bubba?" Hehehe
Sigh. I miss those boys.

[Megs]

Heya Ben, I heard you ran into my buddy Blake while at this shindig. I love how small the world is. :)

Much love,
- Megs