Saturday, August 07, 2004

Aunt Meg Lives in Iowa, Remember?

While walking to the library to use the free internet (a mere 3.5 blocks), I passed 13 SUVs, each with only one driver and 2 Hummers equally passenger free. Do I still live in Iowa City?Meanwhile the Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought/starvation since 1974 and that one was unmatched in its history. Over a million people will be faced with famine or death and even the Wall Street Journal admits that the "economic recovery" has only affected the wealthiest Americans (the top 4-5%). While I hope to hell I am wrong, every fiber in my being and veteran politico instinct tells me that we are in for 4 more years of Cheney, Bush and Rumsfeld. The sad thing about these Suburban Assault Vehicle owners is they probably don't even get the connection between what they drive and millions going hungry in Africa. Most of them will probably vote for John Kerry and feel as if they did a good thing for humanity. Oh well. Keep on living the good life. As for the American dream of having 2.3 kids, owning a nice house in the suburbs and getting deeper and deeper into debt.......I guess that's why they call it a "dream".

I seem to have gotten myself involved in a pointless argument over email with a well-meaning guy who believes this election is one of hope and that I have somehow lost my voice. I started another rebuttal and then it occurred to me that life was too short. I had a column to write and I'm still dealing with the Bob Edwards thing of being unable to suffer fools. This guy once told me he thought I was a "bitch" because I had facilitated a meeting with a steady hand because I had been asked to make certain the meeting lasted no more than 90 minutes and that's what I did. Oh well. If you ask me, this election has nothing to do with hope. What is happening in this country is terrifying. Of course, I've been saying this for close to 30 years. I've been voluntarily arrested for my beliefs and had the honor of standing in silent vigil with the late Phil Berrigan on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Hell, I was a party girl but I was a party girl with a conscience.

Anyway, I've always liked strong women. My 8 year niece, Emma, keeps confirming my intuition and meeting my best expectations as she continues to be the most positive female role model in my life. She and my nephew, Sam, were visiting my parents in North Carolina a few weeks ago and one night Sam (who is 6) had his heart set on going to McDonald's for Chicken McNuggets. Emma, on the other hand, was determined to go to the little Mexican place she had heard my parents speak so highly of. My mother tried to explain to Emma that Grandmother and Granddaddy had promised Sam he could go to McDonald's. Well, Emma wasn't having any of it. She just said, "Oh don't worry, I can handle Sam." She dashed off into bedroom where he was watching television and in less than 60 seconds, Sam came skipping into the den, exclaiming, "Alright!!! We're going to go eat Mexican!"

You could say Emma had manipulated Sam to get what she wanted but, hell, no one else really wanted to go to McDonalds. They all ended up with a much healthier meal and a small locally-owned business got supported as a result Emma knowing what she wanted and speaking her mind. If Sam has his mind set on something he is not so easily swayed, I promise you.

A few weeks ago, Emma and I were talking on the phone and she asked me what I was going to be doing for the "remainder of the day." I swear she talks like this, "the remainder of the day", how can I not adore her? I told her I was going to clean my apartment and do some laundry. She replied, "Aunt Meg, are you crazy? Why don't you have a party and eat a lot of cake?" In the background I heard my mother say, "No Emma, remember, Aunt Meg lives in Iowa." Emma said, "Oh yeah, I forgot." Hell, you'd think with all these Follywood wannabes driving around in their SUVs and Hummers there might be a decent party or four going on every once and awhile. Of course, being a somewhat strong, outspoken women in the Midwest has not put me on the top of anyone's guest list. I was hanging out at the Java House the other night reading the Times and yet another European man with exceptional manners struck up a conversation with me. Hey, before any rumors start flying he's married, okay? Anyway, the topic came around to the culture here and why so many people are so passive-aggressive. I've been trying to figure that one out for 12 plus years.

In some roundabout way this is related to the reason I have never cared for the public weeper. In my experience that person is the first to turn on you and bite off your hand. It's the old White Hunter's adage, that the wounded animal is the most dangerous one of all. At this point in my tenure here in Iowa, I much prefer the people who are honest about their feelings, resentments and anger to those who are not. The most likeable thing I've heard about Dubya to date is that he supposedly told some Senator that his daughters were a "pain in the ass."

Time to go eat a tomato sandwich. I've never cared much for summer. Around this time of year, I begin to feel as if I have mono, but if there is one thing I am extremely grateful for it is tomato sandwiches. Hell, I may even go crazy and have two of them.





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