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John Kerry

SENATOR
A future blog about John Kerry.will be added here. Enter now to see photos. Circa 1999.

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John & Anne Glenn

SENATOR/ASTRONAUT

I JOINED THE 2004 JOHN KERRY PRESIDENTIAL RACE on the last day of the campaign. After an evening rally in Cleveland, I was finally boarding one of the two chartered planes waiting on the lakefront tarmac.ย โ€œAt least Iโ€™m on the same plane as Kerryโ€… I thought.

Wide-eyed, I made my way toward the back of the plane, hoping to join many of the celebrated journalists when someone stopped me and pointed to my name above one of the eight first-class staff seats. โ€œWow!โ€… I exclaimed.

Onboard the campaign plane and seated next to me was Annie Glenn-quite a shock.! Her graciousness put me at ease.

Before I was able to sit, Kerry came on board and spotted me. With what the authority of a SWIFT boat captain, he hailed…”John Chao, right here!” and pointed his finger at a long couch in the forward cabin.ย 

Already out of place and certainly feeling undeserving, I began to object, to which the weary senator looked at me, rolled his eyes and said, โ€œSit down and shut up!โ€ย 

I grabbed my cameras, embarrassed at being singled out, I made my way toward my newly assigned seat. I was warmly greeted by John Glenn whom I had met years before at the capital building and was introduced to his wife Annie. They were riding to the next rally and being dropped off in Akron, Ohio.ย 

I sat on the couch with Annie. Unlike the shy reputation attributed to her in the movie โ€œThe Right Stuffโ€, she turned to me and completely put me at ease. We started chatting like old friends and ignored the two senators swiveling on their captainโ€™s chairs.ย 

When the plane took off, both of us were sideways with no seatbelts or handholds. When the climb turned steep, it crushed me against her with surprising force. There was nothing I could do to prevent the moment.ย When it became an eternity, we both started to chuckle.ย 

I looked across at the Senator who was graciously smiling, (when John Glenn smiles, you canโ€™t see his eyes) and I mischievously returned his gaze. Looking over at Kerry who was either oblivious because this happened frequently or, merely because he was caught-up in another world, I returned to Annie, up-close-and-personal. Smiling and with the most sincere voice I couldย  muster and asked, โ€œTell me… Is he the jealous type?

2000’s DECADE

HEAT’S ON: A decade of transformation. The dawning of theย age of Aquarius. Water turning to steam. Fruition from the quest was liberating. It was a decade that exchanged ambition for the magic of the unknown.

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2010’s DECADES

GRATITUDE: A decade beyond expectation. I learned to live in the moment instead of capturing the moment. .ย . simply, being present to welcome the moment.

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CRATER LAKE, OREGON

NEW WORK: Enter to see photo: This is a work in progress page. SUBSCRIBE for the latest stories, blogs and (if I’ve taken pictures of you in the last 50 years) don’t miss friendship updates. Thank You!

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HONG KONG SUNSET

NEW WORK: I’ve visited Hong Kong a dozen times in the past 50-year. It seems any visit would not be complete without a trek up to Victoria Peak. It’s a view that lends perspective and reveals the general state of the world. My recent visit is no exception.

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