This true story was written soon after the 2016 election. I’ve never posted it here before, but since it’s my 9th anniversary keeping this blog, I thought I’d “celebrate” by posting it now because I’d forgotten about it and seeing it again made me laugh. I hope you find it somewhat funny too.
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This is not the last thing but it’s the one thing that hit a nerve and told me that the underpinnings of a civil society had shifted. Right after the 2016 election, I applied for a job as a personal assistant to an executive of some sort and a few days later I got a phone call for a phone interview. The first thing the person interviewing me said was, “I see you’ve gone to UC Berkeley. You weren’t one of those radicals marching in the streets, were you?” Now, I wasn’t sure how to answer this question. First of all, I had graduated way after the protests I figured he was referring to. Second of all, I was proud to have attended UC Berkeley, especially since it took a fair amount of effort to be accepted, to graduate, and to pay for (I worked while attending). So, in answer to his question, I simply said, “Well, that took place long before I attended.” This man, who seemed elderly, judging from his gruff voice, then replied, “I just returned from the inauguration. It was wonderful.” Now, for the next few minutes, he took to bragging, and why he was bragging to me I had no idea. He went on and on about the inauguration, as if trying to continue basking in the awe and glory of it. All the while I was trying to think how to end this call politely (silly me). Anyway, I soon got my opportunity when he mentioned that the job also entailed taking care of group travel for hunting expeditions to Africa. Now, I’m thinking, “Is this some kind of joke or maybe a crude test of my political leanings?” Whatever it was, the last thing in the world I would ever wish to do is play a part in such a loathsome activity as that. I ended the call with “I’m really not the right person for this job.” Actually, I should say he ended the call for as soon as I said that, he hung up on me. Anyway, that was my own personal rude awakening, and it marked a turning point for me, because since that time other people, including some family members, have taken to blithely voicing biases and opinions that astound or just plain frighten me. And I keep wondering, what happened to critical thinking? What happened to civil discourse? What happened to us? I am no political pundit. I’m just a fiction writer. So the other question that comes to me time and again is this: Where are they hiding all the pods?