I ran into Congresswoman Maxine Waters in the American Airlines Admirals Club at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and had to chuckle that she also enjoys stuffing food in her purse…she was a Depression-era child, after all. We also enjoyed a pleasant conversation.

Maxine Waters Sits Down Next To Me In LAX American Airlines Admirals Club

Ahead of my 9:05 am flight from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh on American Airlines, traffic was smoother than I expected, and I settled into the Admirals Club in Terminal 5 at LAX about 90 minutes before boarding.

As I sat sipping my coffee and working, Waters arrived and took a seat right next to me, under the rotunda (maybe it reminded her of the US Capitol?). There she sat, nibbling on a muffin and sipping coffee herself, occasionally checking her mobile phone, but mostly just staring into space. There’s a lot to contemplate these days!

She was on the 7:45 am nonstop to Washington National (DCA), a favorite flight for Members of Congress returning to the District after weekends at home in their Southern California districts.

A couple of other folks came up to her during the 30 minutes or so she was there, and the large bodyguard traveling with her (seated behind her) did not try to stop anyone. She was in a good mood, posing for pictures and making small talk.

It was my first time meeting the Congresswoman, and I had a nice chat with her about a person of mutual concern. It’s a strange world in which a politician I’ve long opposed and even maligned is suddenly an ideological ally in protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States.

I know many on the left and right hate how “old” our national leaders are in the USA. I say rubbish…with age comes wisdom (I’m not necessarily speaking about Waters), but I am personally opposed to term limits in all cases…though that’s another issue for another day.

Waters was born in 1938, a year before my recently deceased father. She’s seen a lot in her 8+ decades in this county and now in her 18th term, she’s spent a lifetime in Congress as well. I don’t believe in retirement, especially when you are doing something you are passionate about and the people want to send you back, so in that sense, it was good to see an octogenarian going to work.

Before she left, she grabbed a banana from the buffet and dropped it in her purse. Good thing this wasn’t a Delta Sky Club!

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