The Harbinger

I had a million ideas about what to write for this issue of the Harb, with my fuming about bathroom etiquette being one of them. But, I will put that aside for something I can actually talk about with a tiny bit of knowledge and not get fumed about.

I won’t give a mini biography about Lady Bird Johnson, that’s what Wikipedia is for! But I would like to try and remember the good accomplishments this woman made in her 94 years and what she left to the United States and the world. The next time you open your window, or you drive down a little highway outside of Austin, Texas you might not think about Mrs. Johnson, but her finger print will be on everything you see.

She was a tireless advocate for the beautification of the highways in her home state of Texas. But after her husband died in 1973 she decided to branch out with her efforts and started programs to try and clean up America. She spearheaded the adopt a stretch of highway program. You might see those signs on the side of the road now and then, maybe you ignore them, but it shows someone or some group of people decided to take her up on her idea of cleaning up the sides of America’s highways.

She traveled back to the place she called home for so many years to convince her old friends, and the new breed in Washington, to make America a cleaner place for the future generations. She was instrumental in pushing for the city of Washington D.C. to clean up everything about it and turn it from a crime infested pit to someplace tourists would want to come back to. It’s getting there, but it is a far better place now then it was a long time ago. For her work a park was renamed in her honor in D.C. It is a very beautiful place and I would recommend visiting it if you are ever up there.

In her later years she cut back on her public appearances, but she could still be found at Earth Day celebrations and park dedications, including another park named for her in California. I remember seeing her briefly at George W. Bush’s inauguration, and though time had taken it’s toll on her she was still very alert, aware and ready to give advice to whoever wanted it.

Lady Bird Johnson ranks high on my list of First Ladies I respected, and it is a shame to see her go. A highway clean up day is already in the works in her memory for later this year down in Texas and in other states as well.

Claudia Taylor Johnson would have been proud.

Lisa Risa is I live in quiet, and at times boring, Deltona, FL. I am married to Mike and we have both been on the many incarnations of the board since 1999. I love writing, photography and collecting antiques.
Email this author | All posts by Lisa Risa