behind every great man...

today, i was joking around with one of my friends from childhood who's well on his way to becoming a high-profile figure in government, and asked if i could be first lady when he makes it to the white house. (he told me i'd have to sign the waitlist. honey, i don't wait on no lists! ...nnnnext!) 

serious question: have you ever wondered what happens to the "first lady" position if the president isn't married? 

having nearly failed US history in high school, i was completely ignorant of the fact that this already happened in the 1850s when james buchanan was in office. (my smart friend had to let me in on this piece of knowledge.) as the only president who never married, buchanan appointed his niece to hold the role of first lady while he was in office. (apparently he was previously engaged-- you can read about the scandals of it here.)

i continued on to ask my smart friend what the role of a first lady was, which then led me to realize that this position as a first lady might actually be more important than just being given a title to the president's wife. they wouldn't have asked buchanan to fill it with a woman who wasn't his wife otherwise-- he probably just wouldn't have had one. after all, i think i respect michelle almost more than i do the man himself (particularly because of her experience and heart for healthcare... and i trust that she will keep him in check amidst all this healthcare legislation).

the phrase "behind every great man is a great woman" never really spoke much to me, but tonight i decided to poke around to see what the internet had to say about this phrase. ironically, one of the first articles i came across used examples of first women and the impact they played in their husband's life. 

again, i make the disclaimer that i'm not arguing for or against women's rights or equality here, but i think this article says it well: different roles, equal impact. women can stay at home and make an equal impact in the world. regardless of if i ever become first lady (i'm clearly not educated enough to be in the field of politics), i hope that i can grow to someday become a woman that will be capable of standing behind a great man. 

hott... (and check out those great arms, won't you? ...pilates instructor approved!)