Today was the day.
The first event (owho held that awesome 4th of July Partyne NE Fremont) flopped. Only one person showed up.
The second event (on NE Killingsworth) wrocked. We ended up with like 15 people there.
It was the most interesting conversation dynamic ever. It started off with Earl, Joe, Joe's friend Saul (he had that awesome 4th of July Party), myself, and 5 folks from some worker's rights groups. Their leaders (the two people who did over 70% of the talking) hammered away on Earl with questions about CAFTA, the proposed Centrall American Free Trade Agreement, which Bush supports.
He kept saying, in a much more politically correct way, "I appreciate that you're passionate about this issue, but it's not going to come up this Congress, and unless Bush gets elected it'll never come up."
And they kept demanding to know whether or not he would vote for it in its present form.
Then a bunch of locals (almost all black) came in, and we started talking about other concerns, viz. HR40 (the Reperation Act) and the Portland Police Department. I wanted to bring up the point that the community's hostility has worsened the tension between police and policed. I didn't, though.
I shut my gob, although I felt sure I could change some of the hostile minds. Someone must have noticed my building "kamehameha": Bob Boyen, a former Oregon State Senator and living legend in Northeast Portland. He turned to me, after the talk and said "You still in trainin' huh?"
I nodded, stuttered "Yes, sir."
He said "Where do you go to school?"
"_______ College."
"Okay! What year are you in?"
"I'll be a Junior in the fall" said I, forgetting for a moment that classes start disgustingly soon.
"You study Political Science?"
I hesitate, not wanting to withold from such a great community leader. "Yes, sir."
"Let me tell you somethin'," he said, as if he'd confirmed my status as human. "All you need to know about politics, you can find out from runnin' one campaign. You finish this here," he paused to conspiratorily gestured to indicate the room, the event, "and you're ready to run."
I thanked him for his advice.
I wonder: Where is my life going?
Also, it is beautiful that my life has become a story which I cannot predict. It has become the perfect story.
I only know a little bit of what ought to happen in the next chapter, and haven't even the foggiest idea how it'll end.
Ed: 4 hours later
I watched the prelim round of the men's gymnastics. Then I did a thousand crunches and an eternity of bicycles.
The first event (owho held that awesome 4th of July Partyne NE Fremont) flopped. Only one person showed up.
The second event (on NE Killingsworth) wrocked. We ended up with like 15 people there.
It was the most interesting conversation dynamic ever. It started off with Earl, Joe, Joe's friend Saul (he had that awesome 4th of July Party), myself, and 5 folks from some worker's rights groups. Their leaders (the two people who did over 70% of the talking) hammered away on Earl with questions about CAFTA, the proposed Centrall American Free Trade Agreement, which Bush supports.
He kept saying, in a much more politically correct way, "I appreciate that you're passionate about this issue, but it's not going to come up this Congress, and unless Bush gets elected it'll never come up."
And they kept demanding to know whether or not he would vote for it in its present form.
Then a bunch of locals (almost all black) came in, and we started talking about other concerns, viz. HR40 (the Reperation Act) and the Portland Police Department. I wanted to bring up the point that the community's hostility has worsened the tension between police and policed. I didn't, though.
I shut my gob, although I felt sure I could change some of the hostile minds. Someone must have noticed my building "kamehameha": Bob Boyen, a former Oregon State Senator and living legend in Northeast Portland. He turned to me, after the talk and said "You still in trainin' huh?"
I nodded, stuttered "Yes, sir."
He said "Where do you go to school?"
"_______ College."
"Okay! What year are you in?"
"I'll be a Junior in the fall" said I, forgetting for a moment that classes start disgustingly soon.
"You study Political Science?"
I hesitate, not wanting to withold from such a great community leader. "Yes, sir."
"Let me tell you somethin'," he said, as if he'd confirmed my status as human. "All you need to know about politics, you can find out from runnin' one campaign. You finish this here," he paused to conspiratorily gestured to indicate the room, the event, "and you're ready to run."
I thanked him for his advice.
I wonder: Where is my life going?
Also, it is beautiful that my life has become a story which I cannot predict. It has become the perfect story.
I only know a little bit of what ought to happen in the next chapter, and haven't even the foggiest idea how it'll end.
Ed: 4 hours later
I watched the prelim round of the men's gymnastics. Then I did a thousand crunches and an eternity of bicycles.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
ktkate:
No shit. I just want to get out!
al:
You can't do 1,000 crunches. I'm onto you.