Below we are republishing an anecdote from Ellen Vrana, one of Quora's top writers and a former White House intern, about an experience she had with Hillary Clinton while Clinton was the first lady.
I was in college, 1999. I had a summer internship at the Clinton White House. I loved government and wanted to get into it.
I worked in a building within walking distance to the White House. You didn't need a badge to get into my building. Or an ID. In fact, all you needed were hands to open the door.
My job was to listen to speeches and type them up. The technical word is "transcribe." I transcribed the heck out of quite a few speeches. I also did "copying," "collating," and occasional "binder clipping." I could see the White House from our building.
Funny enough, my boss's name was also Ellen. This is important.
One day I was covering for Boss Ellen's assistant who was out with the flu, playing hooky, or just dead — I cannot remember. I got a break from the copier (and it got a break from me). Promoted! I was scared.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
It was going fine, relatively fine, when Boss Ellen got a phone call on her line. I answered it for her outside her office.
Me: "Hello, Ellen's Office."
On the phone: "Hey Ellen, it's Hillary. What do you think about … "
The first lady was calling me! She knows my name! She wants to know what I think!
Me: "HOLY SH--; IT'S YOU!!!"
I just swore at the first lady of the United States!
[Panics. Slams phone.]
I just hung up on the first lady of the United States.
Me: "FUUUUUUUUUUUU--K!"
It is as bad as it sounds.
Overwhelmed by the awesomeness of talking to the first lady, thinking she meant me directly when she said "Ellen," I got verbal diarrhea and swore at her. Then, in shock, I slammed down the phone, thinking that would undo everything. Realizing that I had done that, I then yelled out an even worse obscenity to the entire office.
The rest happened pretty quickly:
My boss called out, "What is going on out there!?"
The first lady's aide called back immediately, and I apologized. She ignored me and said, "Put us through, please."
I put the call through.
My boss never mentioned it to me. I was too embarrassed to look at her again. I went back to the copier. My old friend. I never did meet Hillary Clinton in person.
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