Inauguration night was a ball

It was New Year’s day/night. My wife and I found out rather abruptly that we had been invited to the inaugural ball for the new governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez. The event would be held at the Santa Fe Convention Center. Dress would be formal. There would be no charge for us to attend.

I had a tuxedo in the closet that I had picked up years ago for next to nothing, and my wife had wisely shopped at the local Goodwill thrift store and picked up a matching dress for $12. We decided we would attend this historical event. After all, it is almost never that we dress up and go to such things. It’s a new year. We decided to go.

After a few phone calls I ended up making reservations at the Hilton on the plaza, at an extremely reduced rate because we were invited guests, and by 1 p.m. on Jan. 1 we were on our way to Santa Fe, a little over an hours’ drive north on interstate 25.

There had been snow in the area the past few days but this day the sky was clear and sunny, although very, very cold. The drive up was gorgeous and the snow on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains accented the landscape in such a magnificent fashion that it once again reminded me of why I have kept the Land of Enchantment as my home residence for the past five decades.

We checked into our room and by 3 p.m. we were strolling on the plaza in freezing cold temperatures enjoying the beauty that Santa Fe has to offer. After eating lunch at a Thai restaurant around the corner from the hotel, we walked back to our hotel, where we took in a few cups of hot apple cider that the Hilton was sharing with its guests in the lobby. We really were beginning to enjoy the late afternoon. Simple pleasures are always the best.

We headed up to our room on the third floor, kicked back a bit and then proceeded to get ready for the evenings’ event. I must admit that I took as long and hot a shower as I possibly could. It feels really good to use the hot water on full blast for as long as possible compared to taking five-minute, hot-water-conserving showers at home.

By 7:30 p.m., we were all dressed up in our fancy clothes and headed downstairs to catch the shuttle to the convention center. I did not want to drive at all in Santa Fe with snow and ice all over the place, not to mention the matter of holiday drunk drivers possibly out and about. My wife thought we might have been a bit on the early side, realizing that the event did not start until 8 p.m. However, much to our surprise, the shuttle bus was filled to capacity, and once we arrived at the convention center we noticed the place was absolutely packed with guests.

This would be one crowded event. We were for sure not too early; if anything, we were bordering on late. Surprise.

History in the making

I had met Susana Martinez back in the spring of 2010 on the suggestion of a mutual friend. Susana is from Las Cruces and come to find out her husband Chuck and I are exactly the same age and graduated the same year from opposite high schools down south. We knew many mutual acquaintances and had much in common dating back to our growing up years in the early 70s.

At the time I met Susana, many had given her a slim-to-none chance at winning the Republican primary that would be held later in June. I had an inclination, however, that this low-key yet tough district attorney from Las Cruces could just possibly light New Mexico up and win the governorship. I decided to lend her campaign my support and on many, many occasions prior to my departure to Afghanistan in late July, I had the pleasure being invited along to take some historical photographs of her campaign during particular filming of commercials for television advertisements.

During that time, which spanned a little less than half a year, I found Susana Martinez, and her husband Chuck and his son Carlo, to be a lot of fun to be around and quite amenable to a nobody such as myself. On primary night in Las Cruces I was invited into their private hotel room with several members of her immediate family as results came in and as she obtained the Republican nomination for governor, beating out the heavy favorite and former state Republican Chairman Allen Weh.

I knew at that moment history would be in the making. I was very honored to have been welcomed into this historical event.

As they say, the rest is history.

After my departure for Afghanistan in late July and my subsequent return just prior to the November election, I had pretty much stayed away from the campaign, although I kept informed as to how things were going. I knew she would win. I also knew that national attention would be focused on Susana Martinez and I suspected that the crowds around her would grow and those handling her would tighten the noose around her perimeter and shield her from as much as possible from that point forward.

The little girl from El Paso, who helped build her parents’ security business and then went on to rattling the cages in the district attorney’s office in Dona Ana County, would now become the nations’ first Latina governor. New Mexico had done it again. Camera right, the spotlight is on.

Realizing why people were at the event

Back to the ball. It was very crowded. I had not seen that many people crowded into one area since I had been at the border of Rabia, Iraq and Syria. Standing in line for a glass of wine or getting a plate in hopes of grabbing a few bites to eat was going to be a big challenge. I quickly ruled out alcohol and went for the food option instead.

It was a good decision. The food was pretty good and it satisfied our hunger. The next problem was finding a place to sit, which was just not going to happen. Therefore, an open spot out in the area entering the not-so-heated tent would become the next sought-after spot. We sat down next to a cowboy gentleman from Clayton named Mr. Hall who had brought two of his grandsons to the event. We all spoke a bit of how crowded the event was, but we were all enjoying the free chow. In conversation with Mr. Hall, I learned that his main concern was for the cattle industry in his part of the state. He was a very simple and respectful man who was educating the next generation of cattlemen from Clayton, that being his grandsons, on how things transpire in New Mexico.

And it was there that I realized why people actually came to this event. It was more than a victory celebration. It was beginning to look to me like a bit of a jockeying for position, like horses entering the gate prior to the All American Futurity race held every year in Ruidoso.

As the night began to wear on, I observed as much as I could and took in the sights for posterity. Candi and I spent most of our time in the outside tent where the country western music was playing. We danced a few dances (slow ones because we don’t know how to do the other ones), and spent a great deal of time just wandering around.

At one point we noticed a room where some familiar faces were seen to me. I watched people going out but I also observed people not being allowed in. I waited a while and then asked the security guard about the room just behind him. He informed me that in order to enter that room one needed a different-colored wristband. Mine and everyone else’s I saw was pink. However, in order to enter that room one needed a white wristband. I thanked the guard for his information and went back to wandering around the convention center.

I noticed, in that room, former Senator Pete Domenici, who I had forced seven years earlier to push a bill in Congress concerning my son, a Marine who had been neglected by Tri-Care health system. At that time, Senator Domenici and I appeared together in front of many TV cameras. But now, I did not have the correct colored wristband to be able to speak with him.

That was OK by me. I know how protocol works. I had handled the likes of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers in Iraq, Mr. Negroponte also in Iraq; General David Petreaus in Afghanistan; and hundreds and hundreds of killed-in-action soldiers’ coffins from the war, which always demanded the utmost respect while other workers were too busy sleeping. I figured if former Senator Domenici wanted to see me he would step out of his room and come say hello. I would not be offended.

Throughout the night I managed to bump into a few acquaintances: my city councilman, Mr. Dan Lewis, who I spoke with briefly; a few New Mexico state senators; some wealthy business leaders; and even former Congresswoman Heather Wilson. At one point I ran into an old schoolmate named Rocky Burke from Las Cruces. He was always a good boxer and has since continued in the arena. He most recently was the referee for one of Holly Holmes’ boxing matches held here in Albuquerque.

It was a night of seeing some familiar and not-so-familiar faces. But mostly I watched a lot of folks carry on conversations about this or that.

At one point I was present as the new lieutenant governor, John Sanchez, was making the rounds and having photographs taken left and right. I had met John Sanchez at the state Republican convention in the spring here in Albuquerque. I remember asking him a particular question and I remember him pretty much blowing me off. I wondered if I asked him that question now what his answer would be.

Oh well, it was a night for celebration. At least, that is why I was there.

Some things in my mind that would not go away

Finally, at around 11 p.m., I was able to obtain a glass of wine for my wife and I and find a seat to sit down. The glass of wine was originally $7, but I asked the lady if there was a better deal than that. She told me there was a red wine for $5 a glass, and I said OK to that and ordered two glasses. I brought the two glasses of wine back to the seats my wife and I had secured and we sat there sipping slowly and thinking about where we were.

I could not help but think about all my Marine friends who at that very moment were en route back to the United States from Helmund Province, Afghanistan. Their tour of duty was over and they would be arriving stateside within the next 12-24 hours. I was wondering what they would think of the event I was present at. It caused me some serious reflection time as I finished up my glass of wine.

I kept thinking about one line the new governor had spoken at the ball to the guests. Among other things, she said, “New Mexico is open for business.” I kept thinking long and hard exactly what that meant as I tried to figure out mathematically just where my Marine friends were in the night sky on their way home. It had been a nice but long night. It was time to head back to the hotel.

As we got up to go and retrieve Candi’s coat, we noticed a gigantic line of people waiting for the same thing – their coats. We all had checked out winter coats at this particular place, which went rather smoothly upon entering the facility. However, a glitch had occurred and when it was time for each individual coat to be picked up, it was noticed that there was no system in place for retrieval of everyone’s coats. There were now nearly 1,000 coats that needed to be retrieved, and without the quick thinking of some staffers, there may have been a small riot on the horizon.

However, in short order, everyone managed to get their correct coats, albeit after a few extra minutes of waiting patiently. Somehow a nice lady found ours and we were on our way to catch the shuttle back to the hotel. We arrived back at our room just after midnight and talked a bit about our historical experience at the ball. We had had a good time, but there were some things in my mind that would not go away.

We slept well that night, although the heater in the room quit at about 4 a.m. The front desk managed to get it fixed promptly when we called it in at around 8 a.m. We were given a complimentary breakfast for two at the hotel for the inconvenience, which we greatly appreciated. We sat drinking coffee and talking about the previous nights’ event. We had not ever been to an inaugural ball ever before. It was fun and for sure a learning experience.

What exactly did I learn from this event?

I came away from this event realizing that I had met Susana Martinez almost a year previous at the suggestion of a mutual friend. At that time I knew right away this lady would be the next governor of New Mexico. Her timing was spot on. She ran a low-key campaign and kept it rather civil. She said little and promised to clean up a mess.

Throughout the ball, I kept realizing that I had been allowed into the small circle of believers at the time who thought Susana would win. When it was obvious that Susana Martinez would win, the circle of believers was enormous and I was on the outside looking in. But I was looking in with very good memories from before Nov. 2.

A lot of people say I’m not the brightest crayon in the box of colors, but once in a while I do figure things out. I know what an honor it was for my wife and I to have been invited to the inaugural ball, and we will forever remember a good time. I always enjoy dancing a slow dance with my lovely wife.

I am still thinking about that term, “open for business.” There is this question that looms in my head: “At what price?” That is always the question I have when I embark upon anything. The price to attend the ball was not so expensive. It was actually extremely reasonable.

Every day for the next four years, I and my wife will keep Governor Susana Martinez, and her husband Chuck and their son Carlo, in our prayers. They surely can use all the prayers available. She has a huge responsibility resting on her shoulders.

I believe she will do well. However, if those handling her tighten the noose a little too tightly around her perimeter, Governor Susan Martinez then risks losing the touch and insight of those constituents who are just wearing pink wrist bands, or no wrist bands at all.

Other than that, the night was a ball.

Spiri is a combat war photographer and writer. Find him online at jimspiri.com.