Politics

Last night I watched some of the Convention. In between speeches I had commentary on and the Queen of TR, who was playing a game on her laptop quipped that it sounded like NPR. She wasn't far off, I had the PBS broadcast on. Lucky for me they taped the Gov. of Massachusetts while they were talking so we went back to him and heard his speech in full. I was impressed, of course, with what he had to say and I wondered what cabinet position he would be offered in an Obama administration. Then I thought about my own family. My grandpop only went to school up to 4th grade and then became a blacksmith apprentice in Italy. He left, alone, as a young teen to come to the U.S. and Canada where he had some family. He neither read nor spoke English. He was in the country illegally but always worked. Having lived in the U.S. and Canada, he eventually met someone and wanted to build a life in the U.S. but the quota of Italians from Italy and Canada was full so he went to Cuba and became a citizen and came back under the Italian quota from Cuba. He married my grandmom continued to work hard as a stone mason, became naturalized as a U.S. citizen, and raised 2 sons including a doctor. One Sunday he took my grandmom for a drive in Princeton, NJ to see the work he was doing near a new school that was being built in the woods by a French order of nuns. They were impressed by the tranquility of the school and wondered what sort of girls would go there. Years later, their baby boy would send his baby girl there. That's the beauty of the American Dream.

As I listened to the speeches last night I couldn't imagine why everyone doesn't like to do the right thing, the things that benefit everyone. Then, this morning, I realized that it's like driving. When you are on a road and see a "lane closed ahead" sign there are two types of drivers. One driver moves over immediately and then lets others in. Sure, the whole process slows but everyone gets where they are going on time and never has to stop. Then there is the other driver. He sees the sign and races down the lane to get ahead of everyone else and then stops traffic while he nudges in. He doesn't really gain but he prevents anyone from getting more than he does. Meanwhile, we all lose because traffic is at a standstill because we had to deal with his antics rather than go slower and alternate and we all win. I think the cooperative driver who ensures we all get to work on time is the Democrat.

The Patron

I was just summoned out to the Circulation Desk because a patron wanted to see me. I went out to find an elderly, African-American gentleman named Karl. He lit up when he saw me so I gave him a big hug and that made me feel great. He said he was at church nearby and felt compelled to stop in just to see me to say hello. I met Karl 7 years ago during the week before I closed on my house. We discussed the weather and he said it would rain on the weekend and I told him I didn't want any rain. He said we needed it but I told him I was moving into my new house on Saturday and rain would mess everything up. Karl said he would, "talk to the Man Upstairs" and hold off the rain. It didn't rain that weekend and he has been one of my old men boyfriends at work ever since. At one point I hadn't seen him for awhile and I started to worry, as I'm sure many do who become attached to older patrons, that I might find him listed in the obituaries. I was on the verge of searching for him when he showed up again, much to my relief. He always makes me happy to see him. I may have mentioned before that patrons either love me or hate me. Today the love is winning.