Hail to the Chief?

It's after dinner, and Mr. Coffinberry and I decide to go for a little walk, so that our step-counters (courtesy the Walking Challenge) will read something a little more substantial than the ~2000 steps our sedentary jobs provoke. Son Three is at Driver's Ed class (how did that happen?) so only Daughter-one-and-only is home. I shout down the stairs: "You wanna come on a walk with us?"

"No," she cheerfully replies, "I've gotta work on my campaign."

"What campaign?" I wonder aloud over the rail.

"For President."

Remembering with chagrin my 2nd grade encounter with classroom campaign debates over McGovern and Nixon (as a memory oddment floats by: Gina Dearth and Steve Hammer spoke for McGovern; I was for Nixon--after 36 years, why should those names pop to mind?), I try to imagine how this campaign must look to 5th grade eyes. Not wanting to indicate any current bias (here in 2008 I am deeply undecided, which is just as well, since as a member of the judiciary I couldn't express my preference anyway), I play it safe:

"Who for President?"

"Me for President," stated as if that should be obvious.

"President of what?"

"Student Body president."

"You're running for student body president?" (Since when? I wonder, checking my memory for whether I'd missed something when asking about her day.)

"Yep."

"Who are you running against?"

"C-----." (Her best friend.) Oh, my. Shades of "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" go through my mind, and I correct myself: that's the wrong episode. Shush, I retort: You know what I mean.

"Uh, how's that going to work out? I mean, are you okay with that if she wins, or if you win?"

Tired of shouting around the corner, she comes to the bottom of the stairs. "Oh sure. Fair-and-square. We already talked about it." She goes back to the poster she's coloring for the hallway. Later that evening, she will make mini-fliers of old business-card stock. Her slogan: "I'll do the right thing."

Ah, if only it were that simple.

-----------------------------------------

Oh, we did go for that walk. Put another 4500 steps on the meter. I know the goal is to beat 10K daily. I count myself as doing well to make it to 6K in a day.

It's been a busy month since I last posted. Got one kid off to college, and me started in my first full-time professional career job. Fortunately, I love it.

Comments

Beth said…
Well, did she win???
05 October, 2008 19:06
Coffinberry said…
The election isn't until this week, I think... I ask her about it, and she just says "not yet." But she was elected to represent her class on the student council, for the third year in a row. So either way, she's in student government once again.

Thanks for asking, and congratulations on your coming little one!
05 October, 2008 22:01
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