Everybody knows about "A ha!" moments.
Those are the memorable times when all of the facts and factors associated with a particular issue or life event crystallize. All of a sudden, we get it. It makes sense.
Well, after seeing President Barack Obama appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" recently, I realized that another, similar term could be coined: the Special Olympics moment.
If you didn't see it, the president spent about 40 minutes talking with Leno in his characteristic easygoing, down-to-earth manner. It was a mix of serious and not-so-serious. Among the latter topics was when the conversation veered to the White House bowling alley.
Obama ruefully confessed to not being a very good bowler, admitting to a score of 129.
"That's very good, Mr. President," Leno responded with sarcasm, as the president almost simultaneously observed with self-deprecation, "It's like the Special Olympics or something."
I was watching and knew immediately it was bad. It's just something you don't say -- not as a neighbor over the back fence and not as the president of the United States on national TV, for the very reason that it could be perceived as negative or ridiculing.
The president realized his gaffe immediately and phoned the head of the U.S. Special Olympics board to disclose what he'd said and apologize, even before the show had aired.
Based on his track record so far, I think we all know the president would not intentionally say anything mean-spirited about the Special Olympics. There is no question that he is more enlightened than some women I overheard as they talked quite loudly poolside in Florida recently. They were discussing how some of their friends had gotten really tan during their stay in Florida this winter.
Mentioning one person, a woman said, "Yes, I told her, it's back of the bus for you now." Someone mentioned another person who was very dark. "Yep, definitely the back of the bus for him, too," she responded.
And who among us has not done the open-mouth-insert-foot routine, uttering something that is not appropriate and worse, doesn't accurately reflect who we are or our actual beliefs? When I have done that, I make amends as best I can, then try to shake it off and move forward vowing not to let it happen again. That's all the president can do.
Meanwhile, his Special Olympics moment stands as a good reminder to us all.
Think. Then speak.
Kathy Gibbons can be reached via the Record-Eagle or at gibbonskath@yahoo.com.
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