I choked up at the end of Ron's speech. I realized what a defining moment this was for him as he looked back over his decades of service to the republic. I noticed several times in his speech it was as if he was passing on his wisdom in a very personal, heartfelt way, as a grandfather would to a beloved grandchild about to take on the world. There were also moments during the speech when he just stood there, allowing the chanting, the applause to come, and I believe he was just soaking it all in, maybe thinking to himself, "Yep, it's all been worth it". When the speech was over and he started shaking hands with the throngs, with no handlers getting in the way, no barricades or bouncers, I felt as if he wanted to just stay there all night. I half expected him to drop down off the stage and make his way through the crowd to receive each and every handshake, pat on the back, kind word, and hug. It was bittersweet, it was poignant.
Geesh, the lump in my throat is back.
Thank you, Ron Paul. You've proven it can be done, even in this cynical, lost world. Grace, humility, passion, truth, principle, love.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
