Absent from the State of the Union Address

I will not be at the State of the Union address this year. I can hear a collective sigh of disbelief and regret. I feel it too. I asked Mrs. Obama and President Obama to include me as a guest at the address. I got the phone call a few weeks ago that my request could not be met. There must have been some misunderstanding because I was told “There is no public ticket availability for the address, so your request could not be met”. I wasn’t requesting to be the public; I was requesting to be a guest!

I came up with this idea over the summer and sent my first letter then and subsequently a letter every month. As a middle aged cancer survivor, woman entrepreneur, small business owner with all business done in the USA, and a voting Democrat, I thought I represented a hopeful contingent of the American public. I easily could have been blown off with my letters never seeing the light of day, but I did receive a personal phone call and a form letter from the President. I am sad not to attend personally but very pleased at the personal touch. The return address of the letter says ‘White House’, Washington, DC. No need for the Pennsylvania avenue address since it is THE White House.

I am resolved to watch the State of The Union Address from the comfort of my home this year. Evidently I will be clearer in my request for next year. I will clearly state the sacrifice that as a small business owner I am willing to make to keep my production and jobs in the United States. My competition has gone off shore for production. Although we sell at the same retails their profit margins are greater. I hope my customers understand that not only do I keep jobs in this country but also give back to breast cancer charities. I hope the President understands this issue of small business owners like me, and offers hope for the US economy.