Texas Two-Step

When I was in the 6th grade I was voted President of my class. I named a cabinet and worked towards change. I'm pretty sure I instituted new policy regarding assigning someone to turn off the lights each time our class left the room. Energy conservation was a major platform of mine:)

I also wrote an elegant letter to one of our Kansas City area meteorologists inviting him to speak to our school. There was apparently a big school-wide push towards deeper understanding of the weather that year. The meteorologist in question (Bryan Busby) still works for the station. He prides himself on showing the fun side of meteorology and has multiple outreach programs to schools in the area. Perfect choice, no?

He never responded to my letter. I was devastated - my first taste of political disappointment. The rest of the year had sort of a lame duck feel to it . . .

This first foray into politics gave me a desire for more despite my failures. I decided that being the President of Mrs. Angle's 6th grade class at Warrensburg Middle School just didn't carry the weight I needed to really make a difference. I aimed higher. I would be the first woman president of the United States.

I held onto this ambition through several more years of education. I loved politics! Or, I thought I did. What I really had a passion for was government. It's just so tidy when learning about it in a 9th grade Civics class! All the while I prepared for a career in medicine, I also comforted myself with the mantra "When I'm president I can . . ."

My junior year of high school I was invited to attend Missouri Girl's State. It was a week long attempt at mock state government held on an all-girl college campus a few hours from my hometown. I actually was at the same campus the week before for Student Council camp. And I was pumped to keep my leadership high.

I hated it. Seriously, seriously hated it.

I felt like I had to sell myself to people. I naively had presumed that the other delegates would care about issues and ideas. I did realize that this was a mock government but earlier in the year I'd had great experiences with mock Congress in Speech/Debate competitions. I expected a similar concept. Nope. It was all about campaign posters and "city" cheers. Further political disillusionment.

Again, I understand that this was all mock. But to my 17 year old brain it reeked of reality. I completed my StuCo reign senior year and never again ventured into the political or governing realm.

Here we are now in 2008, watching a democratic nomination race that may result in a legitimate female candidate for President of the United States. Great, right? The thing is, it all feels a little "Girl's State" to me.

I won't pretend I know all the answers. Hell, I don't even know the right questions. But this is what I do know:

There's a guy named Paul who I've met a few times at my local watering hole. He's on some kind of extended leave from the Army but set to go back in early May. This past weekend he found out that he wouldn't be going back to a base here in the States as he previously thought. He's going to Iraq. With the Infantry. To the "front lines." And he's scared.

Me too Paul.