Twenty-six years ago, my mother sat waiting for a bus near San Francisco's Russian Hill. She was in her third trimester and her body hummed with anticipation and anxiety. This was her first child. What sort of future lay in store for it? She waited and daydreamed.
When she looked up, Dianne Feinstein was sitting next to her. Mom wasn't a shy person, and soon she and the young politician were engaged in an animated conversation. Before they parted, Dianne patted my Mom's belly and told her she'd be a great mother. I know how much that moment meant to my mom because every time she tells it, she glows a little, like she's still in her 30s and turning to a fresh chapter, like someone's just reached out again and let her know that everything is going to be new and different and good.
Maybe growing up with that story explains why I am so sad about this, why I won't even ask my Mom if she's heard the news -- in case she hasn't -- even though I've never met Senator Feinstein myself. I don't understand her decisions lately, especially to back the cowardly Mukasey, but I don't have the same level of distaste for Feinstein that I might feel for anyone else in her position. I just keep thinking of those two young women, both in the midst of extraordinary lives, sharing a moment of joy and hope together in a world where the two can be hard to find.
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Just wanted to drop you a line - Becca pointed me to your blog. (I hope by saying "Becca" you'll know who I'm talking about.)
Anyway, that is disappointing about Sen. Feinstein. On the other hand, I am becoming more and more cynical these days about press characterizations of public figures whom I like - they are too often one sided. While I'm not in any way agreeing with Judge Mukasey's stand on torture and waterboarding, he is a heckuva lot better than previous USAGs and USAG candidates, and was one of few people who could have gotten confirmed.
Anyway. Don't give up hope, please. I need it to convince myself that the pendulum will swing back, it just takes some time.
Biggie-Z (pretty articulate for a 6-month puppy, huh?)
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