Talk about your not so common everyday chitchat session.

Joseph Krushinsky of Tamaqua was recently afforded a rare opportunity.With President Barack Obama’s days in the Oval Office winding down, members of his administrative staff were recently granted time with him over the holiday.Krushinsky’s grandson, David Lopez, is special assistant to the deputy chief of staff, and has worked under the president’s administration most of the past eight years.On Christmas, Lopez asked his grandfather, to come with him to spend time with the president. Unfortunately, Krushinsky developed pneumonia, and ended up at Mountain City Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hazle Township,Fortunately, they were able to arrange a phone call between him and Obama, which has been posted on Facebook.It was a fantastic experience,” said Krushinsky, 81. “Unbelievable.”Krushinsky said the conversation went a long way in lifting his spirits.“First of all, I couldn’t believe that he would take the time, even just a few minutes, to talk to a peon like me,” Krushinsky said. “I was elated to speak with him; I was in awe.”Krushinsky added, “He was very courteous on the phone. I wished him and his wife well in their future, no matter whether it’s politics or wherever in this wonderful country of ours. I didn’t want it to turn into a political thing.”“He voiced his concerns of my being ill,” he said. “I appreciated the fact that he spoke to me on the phone. I think it made me feel like one of the most important people in the world.”Krushinsky said his family members who were able to meet with the president were all taken on a private tour of Air Force One.For Krushinsky, the conversation was another notch in his belt, as over the years, he said he was able to meet and shake the hand of President John F. Kennedy, as well as meet and shake the hand of President Richard Nixon as Krushinsky stood out by his factory mailbox along Route 309 while Nixon stopped as part of his campaign.Krushinsky said he was also able to shake the hand of the man, “I thought was one of the greatest presidents that I ever thought we had, Ronald Reagan.”“That’s four presidents under my collar, how could I ask more than that?” he said. “Not too many people can say they shook the hand of how many presidents.”Though he wasn’t actually able to meet Obama in person, Krushinsky hasn’t given up on his plan to one day do so.“I’m hoping the day’s going to come that I could make a trip like that, (so) that I will still get to meet Obama face to face,” he said. “It’s only a dream, but I hope the dream happens.”See the video:

https://www.facebook.com/joe.krushinsky/videos/1379347488776861/