Can You Wear Jeans to the White House?

A couple of weeks ago, my boss, Byron, and my coworker, Brad, were joking about whether you can wear jeans to the White House. I, being my nosy self, asked who was going the White House and wanted to know. It ends up they were going to the White House Policy of Office on AIDS for a meeting. Then, Brad asked me if I wanted to go with them. Let's think about this: I, who had a slight obsession with presidents and first ladies, who was the DAR's most outstanding American History students, who spent most of 5th grade wanting to be the first woman president (it was that or an Olympic athlete...ha!), who has watched almost every episode of The West Wing, do I want to go to the White House? I think my answer went something like, "Uh, yeah!" Brad kindly explained that I would have to wear dress clothes and asked if that was ok. I thought I could handle some dress pants for an opportunity to go to the White House...

So, the day prior to the meeting comes, and I realize I don't know what I am going to wear. My sister's dress shirts don't fit. I didn't bring any really White House appropriate shirts for the summer (I was expecting to do laundry and work projects...). So, Faith and I went trampsing around downtown DC to find a White House appropriate shirt. After going to H&M and Filene's Basement, and back to H&M, I found a nice blue and white stripped button up shirt that was both White House appropriate and ok for the blistering DC in August heat.

The day of the meeting arrived. I got up, got ready (grey dress pants, new shirt, black kitten heeled shoes with the pointy toes, pearl earrings my mom got me for graduation...I even put on some make-up). Anyway, after a cup of cofee and a bowl of honey nut cherrios, I jumped in a cab with Byron and Brad to meet Brad's friend Lois at her hotel. She had flown in from Chicago to go the meeting. At the hotel, we went over what was going to happen at the meeting. We wanted the government to provide better access to testing options. Currently, if you go to get tested you may be met with a 4 page questionaire about your sexual history (not really a hospitable enviroment if you think you might have HIV). There are all kinds of barriers to people being tested- social stigma, small communities with a lack of privacy, dirty, delapidated clinics, etc. Grassroots efforts to get people tested are more affective than ad campaigns and such. As well, we want everyone to be tested- slowing the spread of the disease (there is all kinds of research that shows this could work...I am not medical journal guroo, so...google it). In order for everyone to be tested, more and better options for testing are needed. That was what the meeting was about. Brad is an advocate of portable testing, which hasn't been approved by the FDA. This was discussed at the meeting as well.

After talking at the hotel, we went to a coffee shop to get a snack and then walked to the Executive Office Building, where our meeting was. We had to show photo ID several times, go through security, and get a cool pass to hang around our necks (they had a big A on them and said appointment and were green...just like on The West Wing). We were early for the meeting; so, we were looking out a window on the fourth floor. We could see out over the West Wing and the front yard of the White House. And there was Bo, the Obama's dog, playing with someone in the front yard! We walked down the hall and could see more of the West Wing from the Indian Treaty Room- a conference room with a big seal of the President on the wall.

We went to the meeting, which went well. The man we met with had only been there for 3 weeks; so, he couldn't tell us a lot. The office is still working on the national strategy for AIDS. They are interested in getting everyone tested and seemed concerned about the difficulties people have in getting tested. The man who we met with couldn't really tell us anything about the portable testing. The meeting was interesting and I took lots of notes. The man we met with seemed really passionate about HIV/AIDS issues but seemed to understand the bearacracies issues with being able to deal with it adequately (This hurts me to say this...but it kinda reminded me of Walter Wink and the powers...).

Afterward, we were leaving the building, but we went down one too many floors on the way out. After we asked a security guard where we could exit, he walked out a door, and there was the West Wing! We are talking french doors open with the a very large seal of the president on the wall. Walking toward the gate, we could we see the porch and where all the reporters are set up. Brad, walking backwards, told us he would go out the gate first and then he could get a picture of us coming out the gate. He ran into a large planter.... We left out the Pennsylvania exit, with all the tourists watching us. A little full of ourselves and high from the experience, we went to Old Ebbit's Grill and had some lunch.

It was pretty amazing! I learned a lot about bearacracy and passion- how when the too meet it can be hard. I got to see things I have only seen on TV. It was pretty crazy!