IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I POSTED. Im sorry, I've been terribly busy. These past few weeks, I'm really lucky if I get a full night's sleep. So Im just going to make a few posts about some of my highlight events.
A week ago, I had breakfast with the Senator! I learned a lot of things that makes being a senator fun. And now I want to be a senator.
A week ago, I had breakfast with the Senator! I learned a lot of things that makes being a senator fun. And now I want to be a senator.
1)
there is a nap room next to the voting floor,
complete with recliners and blankets
2) the senate dining room is delicious and fancy. I was treated to Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict.
3) on the senate floor there are two desks on each side – one for each political party. These desks contain paperwork, as well as one drawer that is designated for candy. On C-span when you see senators huddled around the desk looking important, they are actually sneaking a snickers.
2) the senate dining room is delicious and fancy. I was treated to Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict.
3) on the senate floor there are two desks on each side – one for each political party. These desks contain paperwork, as well as one drawer that is designated for candy. On C-span when you see senators huddled around the desk looking important, they are actually sneaking a snickers.
Senators also carve their names in the drawers of their desks, and this goes back to the 1800's, to the famous Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. This is a picture of the Kenney's desk:
The desks usually stay within the same state - so Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) currently has this desk.
Breakfast started off with meeting the senator in the Senate
dining room. The photographer arrived and we each got a photo with the senator.
Then, we sat down to order large, delicious breakfasts. Then the senator’s wife
arrived and she went to each of us around the table. She had memorized our
names and our bios. WHAT! We’re just the interns! I was so honored. Then the
senator announced that he would have to leave at nine to make a ceremony to
celebrate the Marine Corps birthday. I then told them about how I recently went
to the birthday ball with my parents. We quickly had much to talk about,
Marine-wise. Their son has been a Marine for four years and the senator himself
was a Marine reservist for a few years. Their other son is training to be a
Navy Seal. What a family! The senator’s wife brought up a youtube video of a
Marine getting down to a Michael Jackson song from a Marine Corp Ball. This
reference made us all giggle – a senator’s wife watches funny youtube videos!?
They really are down to earth, despite being in Congress.
They are an older couple, yet they are so physically and
socially active that they put the rest of us to shame. She runs 2.5 miles
everyday, and was running on a fractured femur for a week before she realized
it wasn’t “just a sprain”. And the senator doesn’t ever seem to eat or sleep. Every
weekend the couple flies back to Connecticut to attend copious state events.
Apparently there is a saying that if you have a garage door opening in CT, Blumenthal
will be there.
This couple is truly a humbling inspiration. Learning about them and their busy lives
spent helping people made me think back on days that I feel like I can’t get
out of bed, or I skipped lunch and am grumpy because I’m hungry. Not only do
they do this on a regular basis, but also they are much older than am I, and
therefore, should have less energy and stamina. But they overcome so much, and
are so selfless because they are both working for a much bigger cause. They
have thousands of people depending on them. And they love every minute of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment