About 12 years ago I had the good fortune to meet President Bill Clinton. It was me, my wife and my 6 month old son Kennedy.

We waited on the tarmack as the President’s limo pulled up. President Clinton stepped out of the car and his face was graven. He looked as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Then he looked over at us and his face brightened. He walked past many dignitaries and made a bee line for us. He shook my hand and my wife’s hand and then asked if he could hold our baby.

What else would I do. He’s the President of the United States and a man who I respect as the John F. Kennedy of my generation. “Of course” I said and handed my son Kennedy to President Clinton.

As a proud father I think I snapped a half dozen pictures in the 30 seconds he played with my boy. Kennedy reached down and grabbed the President’s nose as though it were an apple. His entire thumb went up Clinton’s nose and the President laughed.

‘Where no man has gone before’ was the thought that went through my mind as we shared a chuckle.

He thanked us and let us take a family picture with him and then he moved on to greet others. When we got home we heard the news that cruise missles were sent into Libya at about the same time. My wife and I figured out then that he had to have made the decision in the limo before he stepped out. He must have had the weight of the world on his shoulders at that time.

‘This is what it’s all about’ he must have thought. ‘This is what it’s really all about’.