Tuesday, November 5th 2019

Cambridge Common in the Morning

Driving my daughter to school today we pass the public park at Cambridge Common and what do I see but my new Homeless Buddies, Victor and Michael.  And because I had just picked up some new reading glasses for Michael, I pulled over to say good morning.  (He couldn’t afford the $25 ones at the drugstore… so I picked up a couple $1 pair at the dollar store.  I know from experience they work great.)  And as I now seem to be collecting homeless friends, I also gave a package to their buddy “James.”

Later in Harvard Square I see my “Climate Strike” homeless guy holding up a piece of cardboard that reads, “CAN’T AFFORD A WITTY SIGN,”  and now I appreciate him even more.

🤓

At school I got reassurance from a trusted mom that I wasn’t a jerk for posting these –what in Cambridge are really very BIPARTISAN– endorsements on Facebook:

“You’re allowed to like different people!” says my friend

The problem is that what I’m learning is, bottom line; I am not NEARLY as informed as I ACT. And the implications of these opposing endorsements is something I don’t fully grasp. Let’s just say the PROGRESSIVE Camp and the NEO-LIBERAL Camp do not share the same views on HOW certain challenges –like Housing, Homelessness and Climate— should be addressed.

Liberalism vs. Progressivism (?)

😳

Welp… Fast forward and I’m inside an election office for my candidate, Quinton Zondervan, to help G.O.T.V. by “text banking”… which I have never done before. But I’m READY TO LEARN.

Scene of Non-Stop Hot Election Day Action

After texting scores of known Zondervan supporters –asking if they’ve voted yet– I take it upon myself to order lunch for everybody, whereupon both my computer AND the food incurred breakdowns requiring troubleshooting and costing about 40 minutes. I swear I could have gotten through the entire rest of the list by then, but alas it was time to both go meet my daughter’s school bus and to go VOTE.

🍕🥗💻💥🤷‍♀️🚌🏈

The equipoise and appreciation from Quinton’s assistant Dan made me appreciate FOOTBALL of all things, for perhaps the only time in my life. What’s beautiful about a collaboration on a diversely populated campaign machine for example, is that it doesn’t matter WHO’s got the ball. You suffering a tackle doesn’t matter so much as that you got the ball a few yards down the field.

The Equipoise of Dan

Fred Fantini and ClaraJane

All ClaraJane wants is to Get. In. That. Library. to continue reading Harry Potter.

#ThanksfortheLiteracy Cambridge Public School Reading Intervention Program!

#YouAreWelcome ClaraJane!

DLove heads in to vote

Here’s where it gets complicated for me.

For City Council there were 22 candidates –including 8 incumbents– for 9 seats. And because our People’s Republic is blessed with Rank Choice Voting, the result is a dizzying array of bubbles to fill out, accurately. And if your strategy and your sincere understanding and your loyalties have been scrambled in the past few days like mine have… it might take you more than one try. And if you mess up the maximum amount of allotted times and finally succeed in getting your ballot processed on your third try, the folks in the polling station might *clap* for you as they did me.

“I always worried about people who are too dumb to deserve to vote,” I told them, “I didn’t realize I might be one of those people!”

At least I got a good laugh from the whole place before I ran off to paint faces for the evening.

So much to learn…

And Scene.

🤷‍♀️