Bush the Elder
I got a letter from Ann today! I haven't written her in four weeks, because I had so much to tell her just from orientation that I needed a long block of time to do it, and now it's so impossible that I'll just have to babble. She's going to become a novice on October 18th and literally "take the veil". She'll be Sister Ann. That is so awesome. And she wrote that our friend Jason, who was also a Classics major at Kenyon, is going to enter an "old Latin" order in Italy, which is so perfect for him.
Speaking of Kenyon people, there are three volunteers at the D** Miller House; I, the Jesuit Volunteer (JV), a Lutheran Volunteer (LV), and a Mercy Corps volunteer. I was told last week that the LV also went to Kenyon, class of 2002, which just flabbergasted me. Can you believe, somehow two of us end up at the same place in Baltimore from the middle of Ohio? No way. They asked me if I knew her, and I said I thought she was in my Intro Greek class. They said she said she thought I used to go to her apartment to watch Buffy, which must have been another Megan because I don't watch that show. I finally met her yesterday because we had to go to a mind-numbingly boring Red Cross class on administering medications. And sure enough, she had been in my Greek class. She dropped after a week or so, I can't believe I remember her from that. It was so nice to see another alumna, even though I didn't know her at college. I could talk about someone like Phil Ross and I wouldn't need to explain further.
Then, then today I was shift shadowing in the 01 house (there are actually two house, 01 and 03, and I alternate working in them), and I went over to 03 for a minute to drop off their new broom. This older lady saw me and said "Are you Megan?" I thought she was the director I hadn't met yet, but she said "Hi, I'm Nancy Birck. My daughter went to Kenyon College and says she knew you." No way. No freaking way. Kathleen was a senior when I was a freshmen, but she scheduled the lectors for Newman and was the head of Circle K, so I knew her quite well. She was also the RA everyone adored that year. Her mother has volunteered at the D** Miller House for the last seven years.
Ah, now we come to Chris. We had a huge argument last night and you won't believe what started it. George Bush the Elder. But not in any political way, really. Chris had gone to the Democratic primary debate yesterday, and he said that he was surprised that there weren't many candidates from the South and West this year, when most of our recent presidents have been from there. So we started listing them. Clinton's from Arkansas, Carter's from Georgia, Reagan from California, Bush is from Texas..."And Bush senior is from Texas too," Chris said.
"Oh, I wouldn't say he was from Texas, he only had a ranch down there or something," Emily said.
"No, he was governor of Texas," Chris said.
"I don't think so, that was only his son," I said. Emily agreed, and Chris kept insisting that he was. I made a note to myself to check it when I had internet access (I'm right, too. The only elected position Bush had before becoming VP was two terms in the House of Representatives).
So I sent the link about Bush to Emily today. We were wrong in that we thought Bush spent a lot less time in Texas than he actually has, but I didn't send it to Chris because I'm too afraid. I'm afraid that he'll be angry that I looked it up, that I'm right on some of the things. What can you do with that? I've always been of the opinion that if I'm arguing about some verifiable fact, I'll go and look it up and save all that energy. But he hates that I do that. I guess it would be annoying if you think you're always right.
I didn't participate in the argument much, it was mostly Emily and Chris, but I was so mad at him I was shaking, and I only got four hours of sleep before work. And it's such a silly argument, but this happens all the time in our house. It seems like Chris has such a need to be right, and I can't give that to him when I know I am. I'm not dumb, you know? My mind is like a lobster trap for all those obscure historical facts. And I don't pull things out of my ass. If I say something, I know what I'm talking about. Well, pretty much, anyway. I've been used to people respecting that, too, instead of mocking me for wanting to look it up.
