CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)-Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright has carried a share of heavy responsibilities, and her extraordinary collection of pins is a testimony to her work in overseas diplomacy.
She said, "People know that I wore the pins for certain reasons, and to this day even though I'm no longer in office, they want to know why I'm wearing a particular pin and you begin a conversation that way."
Albright was a Clinton appointee, but her collection has moments from the international stage shared with world leaders like Yasir Arafat, and Nelson Mandela.
Along the way she would wear a pin that spelled out her mood or feelings regarding a particular issue.
Many of the symbols and stories are explained in a new book.
It's titled Read My Pins.
"The book is the best transmittal of the foreign policy story that goes with the pins," Albright told WBTV.
Being away from the tasks of daily diplomacy isn't keeping her quiet regarding world affairs.
She supports the pull out of troops from Afghanistan by 2014.
"We' re not gonna just abandoned Afghanistan that's what happened when the soviets pulled out in 1989,"she said." All the sudden nobody cared."
Regarding Syria, she would like to see the bloodshed end.
"The tragedy is watching people die and be killed wantonly."
Albright is admitted democrat who will be here for the upcoming convention, and when delegates come to town she e plans to symbol of the Queen City.
The gold studded crown given to her by the local family that owns Perry's jewelers.
"It's a great symbol of Charlotte and I'm very pleased to be able to wear it here and I will wear it in addition to the dogwood," she said.
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