Memorabilia

Sitting on my bookshelf so that I can see its yellowed paper as a reminder of how long ago it was is a framed letter. The date says 8/23/74 and it is on Philip A. Hart’s small letterhead. The handwriting was Senator Hart’s familiar scrawl.

“Barb-

“Please do a letter for me to Barbara Kincaid (Florence has address) (Believe not married.)

“Understand she has had difficult time recently (physical, not emotional). Hope she is much better.

“If anything office or I can do, pls let us know.

“Janey would join me etc. but I haven’t seen her since 4th of July weekend at St. Thomas.

“Explain delay in writing (a) compelling national events (b) absence of my writer and (c) … you can handle it, I know.

“Indicate very real hope she will be fully active soon; that she has been missed by all of us!

“Thanks --

“Sign it ‘Phil Hart’
“Also off to state convention at Mackinac – she may be interested.”

Just a note or two about Senator Hart’s cryptic humor… “Compelling national events” was President Nixon’s resignation and I, of course, was his writer of special letters (not the important ones but the touchy, feely stuff). So, I was to write myself a letter. His letter arrived with the address handwritten and a stamp -- the sign that this was personal, not official business. I have always been able to see that smile and twinkle in his eye in my head at least whenever I take the time to re-read this favorite and really only piece of memorabilia from that period of time.

Barbara K. Kincaid
Arlington, Virginia