The Doodler

President Kennedy was a prolific doodler. His secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, kept many of his doodles on notepads, letters and other documents when they ended up on her desk. A few of them were selectively copied, printed in very limited quantities and used as “Thank You” gifts for staff. During my tenure as a White House intern, I was given these two framed doodles at different times when we had completed special projects. I saw the president many times and spoke to him on rare occasions. He liked the sailboat doodle and said that he seemed to make that mark when he wished he was on the ocean and away from all the drama of his work.

I treasure these doodles. I can get lost in them, as I know he did. On this anniversary of his untimely death, it would be good if we boomers, who were in school when he died, could move on. But I can’t and neither can most of my peers. Our world is so different now. When I snapped the polaroid photo of his grave not long after the funeral, I was still sorting out my thoughts. I continued to go back to that site as it changed. I don’t now return to DC without going to the grave. It’s not about what might have been. It’s about what he made us feel we could be.  There’s a standard that was set back then that we’re still working toward. I hope we can achieve it…for him and for us. RIP, JFK.