A snippet......
April 16, 2004
I FIRST met the lady who could be our next first lady nose-to-nose. Flat out on the ground. Teresa Heinz Kerry arrived at my home for lunch, was welcomed by my two Yorkies, and went down on all fours.
"I've had three," came her voice from floor-level. "Rusty and Cous-Cous died of old age. Rusty Two always threw up in cars. The vet couldn't cure him and we travel so much we couldn't keep him. Now we have a German shepherd. I adore dogs."
........
"A politician's wife has a hard life. In the old days they only lived for their men. Today we can have a broader, richer life. The partner must have her own set of interests. Children, career, something. It's needful to have a sense of one's self. I work six days a week on my own interests and will always continue. To become more of a 'thing' and less of a person is terrible.
"I can't believe I married a second politician. I can't believe I married the first politician. He wasn't one when we met. I can't believe my family left Africa and came to this country. I can't believe I live in America, I can't believe I ever even married an American. And I can't believe we're embarked on this journey."
This journey, does it ever scare her?
"Yes. What people don't know is that I am basically shy. I never wanted to do this. It all seems so bizarre."
With that she kissed my dogs, grabbed a Diet Pepsi for the road and climbed into her SUV for the ride to Newsweek.
© CINDY ADAMS, 2004