February 27
by Janine Stephenson
Before I went to bed last night, I called my Mother on the phone. I told her a bit about what was going on with the campaign. She told me that she was busy collecting my mail for me.. She spoke in a bit of a monotone at first. I tried to get her excited about all the things I was experiencing, but she wasn't having any of it. Instead, she told me in a very stern voice that I needed to be more serious with my life. Which, of course, is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
I didn't tell her that. Instead, I let her prattle on about how I needed to work for a candidate who was going to be successful. If I was smart, I would meet someone who was on the campaign staff. She asked me if I met many boys who were worked for McCarthy. Before I could answer, she said that she didn't want me to meet boys on his staff since they weren't suitable.
Then she said that she saw Benjamin at the market. He's the boy I went to the prom with last year. He asked about me, but why should I care about that? If he was smart, he'd be here instead of back home buying milk and cookies. His complete lack of interest in the world doesn't surprise me one bit. He'll be drafted someday soon, I bet. That's the way things are. One day, he’ll wake up in the jungle and wonder how he got there.
I don't wish that on anyone. I'm sorry.
The whole conversation closed with me asking Mother why she was so anxious for me to find a boy. She said it was because she was worried that I wasn't working hard enough to find a boy on my own. I told her I was doing just fine. I'm a nerd, but not that much of one. Then, I found out that Theresa got engaged. She's our next door neighbor. After that, the whole conversation made sense.
