The Day I Talked With President Johnson

My family and I were camping at Johnson City State Park, now called Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, when I was about 12 years old. Dad and I were walking along a dirt road; I don’t recall where we were going or where we came from. A black convertible drove up, going in the same direction we were walking. I was ahead of Dad, looking for something to photograph. The black convertible stopped next to me, and the driver, who had white hair to his shoulders, asked if we were enjoying our stay in the park. I talked with the gentleman for a few minutes. There was another guy in the passenger seat as well as one in the back seat. I noticed that the car had an eight-track player with a Tom Jones tape in it. The tape player was powered off, but since it was the first time I had seen an eight-track player, I couldn't keep my eyes off it. The guy was friendly, and we talked for a few minutes. He asked me about my camera. Then he said, “Enjoy your stay here in the park!” as he put the convertible into gear. He slowly drove away. Then I noticed a Jeep following the car, and the guys in it had guns.

Dad came running up to me and said, “Do you know who you were talking with?” I replied that I didn’t. He said, “That was President Johnson!” Apparently, when President Johnson stopped to talk with me, the Jeep pulled up beside Dad, and they stopped him from walking up to us. Dad said the guys in the Jeep were serious, so he didn't question why he couldn't go any further. Dad had been trying to get my attention to tell me to take a photo of President Johnson, but I didn't hear him.

We all laughed about this many times over the years. I earned the name Ever Ready because I missed so many great photos by getting distracted or having my cameras packed away at the wrong times.