Lady Bird Johnson by Sandra Parshall

I would have known that voice anywhere, but I never expected to hear it in my neighborhood branch library.

A few years ago I was browsing the audiobooks section of the Dolley Madison Library in McLean, VA, when I heard a woman say in an unmistakable Texas drawl, “Let’s go whole hog on spy novels.” Could it possibly be...? I looked up to see Lady Bird Johnson in a wheelchair, accompanied by a Secret Service agent and her daughter, Lynda Robb. Mrs. Johnson wore sunglasses, and I recalled reading in The Washington Post that she’d had cataract surgery at Walter Reed and was recuperating at Lynda and Chuck Robb’s home in McLean. Now here she was, picking out audiobooks to entertain her while she was unable to read. Several library patrons were nearby, and we all did our best not to stare, but we couldn't help smiling as we listened to her commenting, in a voice we knew so well, on the books her daughter suggested. And I couldn't help noticing that her Secret Service man regarded her with genuine fondness.

I had always admired Mrs. Johnson’s down-to-earth personality and her combination of grace and inner strength. Here in the Washington area, it’s not unusual to see politicians in public places, but they don't impress me. They’re just... well, politicians. But seeing my favorite First Lady picking out spy novels at my local library is an experience I'll always treasure.