Going To Meet The Man

by Sola Osofisan

No, not that man. The other man! I’m not talking about Baldwin’s Book of the same title here. This is McGreevey time! I’m going to the Governor’s Mansion to meet that man. Ha ha! Sounds exciting.

I know there’s going to be a whole load of security there on that day, after all, we’re all aliens and the protective apparatus in America is justifiably in overdrive whenever aliens (or even naturalized folks) go to meet “the Man”.

Still, we’re no threat. We’re Nigerians! We only do ourselves harm.

I plan to be there, if they will let me in. I’d like to witness what happens at these events. My journalistic inclinations have been stirred. What happens at a Flag Raising? You pull the flag up a pole, salute, sing a couple of anthems and feel proud for a brief moment that you’re from elsewhere? Or should we change that to Somewhere?

The governments we have had over the years in Nigeria have never given much consideration to our National Flag. Jeeze, they haven’t even considered our national pride. Maybe good old McGreevey will teach us a thing or two. I’m going to meet the man.

First I heard of McGreevey, I was just arriving the United States and he was giving Christie Whitman a lot of sleepless nights. That was back in 1997. Whitman won that election. But McGreevey shook her like a wet rag. We always knew he was a governor in waiting…Just like Al Gore is a president in waiting, huh? Go Al!

New Jersey is not a bad state to live in. Just too cold for a warm blooded creature like moi. And those cops over-ticketing the guy who looks different in the white neighborhood, a kind of warning for him to get out and stay out? It’s like Monopoly. Go Directly To Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect 200 Dollars…

So, folks, Sept. 28 is the date. Let’s go meet the Gov. I will be there with my trusty camera to capture the colors to post in the photo album.

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