Madison and Morgan County were graced by the presence of former First Lady Laura Bush Tuesday.

    Mrs. Bush took advantage of our unique cultural and historic offerings to tour Madison Mayor Tom DuPree’s home (where she met our First Lady Lauren DuPree).

    Flanked by U.S. Secret Service men and friends, Mrs. Bush was entertained by the Morgan County High School band, much to this band’s delight.

    By all accounts her trip was a success.

    She was gracious and accomodating to our young people and us. We thank her for the visit.

    It was historic and certainly important for our town and our community and created quite a buzz. Folks with cell phone cameras clicked away as the presidential entourage embarked on a tour of the DuPree grounds.

    And as stately women do, Mrs. Bush took it all in stride, posing with our children, smiling, welcoming all around her. She was the epitomy of grace.

    So often we are encountered with petulance and pettiness from our celebrities. This visit was neither.

    Instead we were treated with a brief glimpse of a strong, caring woman, filled with Southern charm, wit and wisdom.
    It is a testament to our community that Mrs. Bush chose to spend a morning here. When the wife of the former leader of the free world chooses your community for a visit you have arrived as a enviable, desireable city.

    We’ve known that for a long time. Madison and Morgan County have been blessed through the vision and wisdom of past generations to understand the beauty of history, of manners and of a sense of place and historic relevance.

    We are all these things and more. We know it. Now the world does, too.

Printed in the May 21, 2009 edition.