Dear Mr. President

     Lights are out here by 9:30 or 10pm. Tonight though, I’m watching our President chat with Jay Leno.  I tried to get a ticket to the town hall but you know how that is; his people couldn’t reach my people, Michelle wanted to hang out and plant a garden. Yeah. 

    Dear Mr. President,  

             Today I didn’t look for a job. I didn’t troll Craigslist, Career Builder, Monster, Idealist or Opportunity Knocks. I didn’t re-work my resume or rewrite my cover letter.  I didn’t check the surrounding city’s web sites.  I didn’t send out a mass email to everyone on my list updating them about my last interview and my continuing job search.  I didn’t email or call people about writing jobs either. I didn’t do a thing. 

            I walked my daughter to school today, one of the pleasures of being home. It was on my way back that I heard a woman screaming my name. She knew the institution that I used to work for, heard about my layoff and thought I’d moved. I’m still here. I appreciated her concern, her offer of a room so I won’t be out on the street if that need ever arose. She asked if the institution could have made a different decision. Yes they could have. No, they didn’t choose to. 

           So I just sat with that today Mr. President and thought about institutional ethics and  of course AIG and the ginormous healthcare bill on my table, and how they are all related. Yes I know this is supposed to formal because you ARE the President, but how many opportunities do you get to use the word ginormous? And I realized that I really needed to be still, because sometimes when we are doing nothing, it makes room for something and it gives you just enough pause to let go.  

          Now I don’t mean this advice for you. You need to get off that couch and get back to work.  That off the cuff remark about the Special Olympics might cost you a little bit, but I’m still glad I voted for you, the first 59 days have been wonderful. We’ll catch up again soon. I’ll hit the pavement again tomorrow, but right now Mr. President it’s been enough to just be still.

Something spectacular is just around the bend…