It was a great joy to see these people on stage together for this event.

The Obamas, Clintons, Bushes, and Bidens

It’s hard to express how happy it made me to see these folks on the stage in Chicago today. Just take a look at the four couples for a moment. President and Michelle Obama, President and Laura Bush, President and Secretary Clinton, President and Doctor Biden. How normal they all seem! How dignified! How like my aunts, uncles, grandmas, and grandpas they appear.

It’s just nice to know that they still exist, and that they still care.

The most interesting thing about for me is this: I posted the picture of the four couples (the one from above) on Facebook with the blurb saying: It is a joy to see these people together at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center today in Chicago. Within 15 minutes, I received 300 “LIkes” and about 25 comments.

I (Yes, that’s Me) Went Viral

Now, today, 23 hours later, there are 5.9K likes, 524 comments, and 340 shares.

Normally, I could stand on my head, nearly naked, with vampire fangs and a cape on, and if I posted that photo on Facebook, I might get 15 Likes.

How can I interpret this sudden “viral” moment I experienced?

My interpretation: Many people long for, crave, a picture of civility in our almost completely, currently un-civil country.

A Disrupted Dinner Engagement

Why, just last night, I went out for tacos and burritos with some folks, who are normally very nice. As it happens, I have banned political discussions from my life for the past three-four months, mind you, but one of my dinner partners said to me: Gavin Newsome and Zohran Mamdani are horrible people and are ruining California and New York.

I won’t go into the entire unpleasant discussion that ensued. But my partner has assured me that I did not, in fact, bring any of it up. So at least I had held to my “policy.”

Just like Michelle Obama did yesterday. Her speech was notable because it largely avoided politics. Instead, she spoke about memory, dignity, and the feeling that public life once contained a little more grace than it does now.

I think my post went viral because it triggered some good memories for many people. And I’m quite glad to have provided that service.