One sunny day in 2005 an old man approached the
White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue,
where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He
spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and
said, "I would like to go in and meet with
President Bush."
The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir,
Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer
resides here."
The old man said, "Okay" and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the
White House and said to the same Marine, "I
would like to go in and meet with President
Bush." The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as
I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer
president and no longer resides here." The man
thanked him and, again, just walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the
White House and spoke to the very same U. S.
Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet
with President Bush."
The Marine, understandably agitated at this
point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this
is the third day in a row you have been here
asking to speak to Mr. Bush. Ive told you
already that Mr. Bush is no longer the
president and no longer resides here. Dont you
understand?"
The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh,
I understand. I just love hearing it."
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and
said, "See you tomorrow."