Friday, September 05, 2008

On the road again . . .

This is it. Today is our last in Corvallis. We leave our pleasant room at the Days Inn, drive over to Philomath for a quick check-in at the doc's, and then head north to Vancouver, just over the Columbia River. By tonight, we'll be sleeping in our new apartment, which, at the moment I can barely remember. And I don't know when we'll have internet again.

In a few minutes I'll begin repacking the car, a simple four-door sedan already loaded with a folding office desk, a folding bookcase, and a collapsible kitchen table, two lawn chairs, an inflatable queen bed, two cots, and several boxes of necessaries for the kitchen, the bathroom, an office, and, of course, books. I'm always amused when people say, Oh, you're traveling in an RV. I can't imagine driving the thing. The packing should be interesting as we can't eat until AFTER the doc, and I may bite someone.

Thoughts of McCain and Palin swirl around, post their convention bounce. I can't imagine a candidate less likely to inspire Hillary supporters than Palin, a woman, that would be the only comparison. I don't even want to go there. Her lack of experience scares me, and though I'm a feminist and a great believer in women having the right to choose their life, I can't understand her. I've always worked hard and had visions of expanding my responsibilities. Most times I achieved my goals at the cost of 70-hour workweeks. But if my family needed me at home, I like to think I would have pared back my workplace ambitions. So I'm not being fair about Palin. My sister likes her. I like Hillary's pantsuits better; Hillary's articulateness, her compassion, her commitment ring true to me.

My friends are already talking of leaving the country if McCain/Palin win, and I'm seeing a more divisive two months ahead. Regardless, we'll float out of here on December 31st, headed for South America. But I'd rather read of Obama/Biden's transformations of our country with hope and affirmation than watch her deconstructed by fear, anti-science, and cronyism.

1 comment:

rebecca said...

hillary can run circles around palin and for anyone to compare her to hillary is actually an insult to hillary if you ask me. i know women who are voting for her and defending her even when common sense dictates otherwise, just on the basis that she is a woman. it baffles me. the interview she just did with charlie gibson (excerpts of which i have on my website) affirm the fact that she is not qualified for this position at all. i can't think of a worse nightmare than for these two to win.