One sunny day in 2009 an old man approached the White House from
across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench.
He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, 'I would like to
go in and meet with President Bush.'
The Marine looked at the man and said, 'Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer
president and no longer resides here.' The old man said, 'Okay' and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said
to the same Marine, 'I would like to go in and meet with President
Bush.'
The Marine again told the man, 'Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is
no longer president and no longer resides here.' The man thanked him
and, again, just walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the White House an d spoke to
the very same U. S. Marine , saying 'I would like to go in and meet
with President Bush.'
The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man
and said, 'Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here
asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is
no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you
understand?'
The old man looked at the Marine and said, 'Oh, I understand. I just
love hearing it.'
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, 'See you
tomorrow.'