A Chance Encounter

It was the summer of 1960 when my father invited me to accompany him to a morning business meeting in Los Angeles. We arrived early at the hotel where his client was staying, and as we walked the corridors, we noticed a crowd gathered around one of the banquet room doorways. Inside, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy was holding a press conference.

We paused to watch. Kennedy's charisma was immediately apparent as he fielded questions with wit and ease, engaging in playful banter with the reporters. My dad, a dedicated Republican and Nixon supporter, initially mistook him for Robert Kennedy since he seemed so young, but was nonetheless struck by the candidate's youthful energy and dynamic presence. It was a stark contrast to the more formal demeanor of his preferred candidate, Richard Nixon.

As the press conference concluded, Kennedy made his way toward the exit, stopping to shake hands with reporters and onlookers alike. When he reached the doorway where we stood, he extended his hand to us as well. For me, it was a breathtaking moment - my first time being so close to someone of such national prominence.

That brief encounter made the events of November 22, 1963, feel intensely personal. I was in my high school's office when the radio broadcast was interrupted with news of his assassination. As I listened to the tragic announcement, I remembered that handshake, that charismatic smile, that moment of connection. America's Camelot had indeed come to an end.