Reflections on a busy day of a busy week

It’s been quite the week.
We’ve been blessed with San Diego-like weather: hot and dry with “abundant sunshine,” as the Post calls it from time to time. Earlier this week, the morning sky was that crystal blue that you always see in the movies when they film D.C. It defines the creamy white of the memorials, the sharp point of the Washington Monument cutting against the sky.
Wednesday was a very full day, one that made me feel very immersed in D.C. society. Whether that is a good thing or not remains to be seen. The start was good; I made my 8 a.m. book discussion group. We’re really getting into the meat of it and I enjoy talking about all the fun worldviews stuff. I’m going to need to reread the book, though. I’m going through it too fast.
Then it was to work, and after a few hours I stole down one floor to say hello to Ashley before her organization’s lecture and to steal some food. But on account of my guilt and her petitions, I decided to say. Os Guinness, the speaker, was very good. He talked about freedom, and I thought he had a good, needed perspective on the matter. I’ll have to think more about it when I have time. Good lecture, though, and hopefully a challenge to all of us with the propensity to throw ourselves behind something (e.g. a party) and cry “full speed ahead” while the ship is sinking.
Worked more, had a stack of mail come in (almost always depressing) but at least the majority could go out as forms this time. So my stack is still manageable *content smile* Still want to actually catch up 100 percent – or at least something like it – one of these days. It’s about ¼ of what it used to be, so that is happy and a testament to God’s faithfulness. I keep thinking about coming in on the weekends to catch up and I may yet do that on a Saturday, but I know the times I’ve wanted to come in on Sundays I’ve felt very convicted to consecrate that as the Lord’s day. I’m not Sabbatarian in the strict sense of the word, but I believe it is important to remember why God called us to rest. And I think He quickens us to do better during the workweek sometimes when we obey that command in particular. It’s cool how He works like that.
We were scuttled out of the office early to go to boss’ fundraiser. It was the first time I’ve been to one of these things as a staffer. That was sort of cool. It was in the Capitol Hill Club, and this visit marked only the second time I’d entered that tenured building. I received quite a few compliments on my suit (the crème one), which was fun. I had the chance to speak with Gloria, my boss’ wife, and she is a wonderful lady. You can tell that in spite of all the sacrifices she’s had to make being a politician’s wife, she does it for no other reason than because she loves her husband, and that is enough. That is pretty inspirational.
I skipped out of the fundraiser a tad early to find the restroom and change into my new black dress. *wry grin* This was the dress that Sarah and my conscience wondered “when are you ever going to have a chance to wear something like that?” when I bought it three months ago, but it wasn’t that expensive and I just loved the fit, so I got it anyway. Well, when I ran into Steve (friend from the campaign) at church and to make a long story short asked if I was going to a reception for a mutual friend this week, he asked if I wanted to accompany him. The occasion is that the lady in the family I lived with most of the time I was in Oregon was just appointed by President Bush to be Ambassador to Malta. Now if THAT isn’t weird, I don’t know what is. But I’m getting ahead of myself. So precisely at quarter to seven I walk out of the Capitol Hill Club in a different outfit than I was wearing when I walked in, which made me feel, well, very D.C.
So Steve picked me up and we headed over to the steakhouse at which the reception was held. It’s on the Senate side, that place with the big glass windows I used to walk by when I was at Heritage and think, wow, it’d be really cool to eat there someday. And while I didn’t exactly have a sit down dinner, I did eat there, so there is proof positive that some D.C. pipedreams and offhand comments do, in fact, come true.
It was very fun to see Molly – ur that is, Misses Ambassador – and a handful of folks from the campaign. *grin* One in particular seemed scandalized by my dress, bearing that sort of “church coordinator wearing spaghetti strap dress this does not compute” look. Met some cool people from the State Department who will be working with her. They were very interested to talk to; one is a linguist and was telling me how Maltese is a hybrid language between Italian and Arabic. Go figure that one. Another huge highlight was talking to Matt, Mister Ambassador (or whatever he’d be called). He’s been a stay at home dad since their family started to free Molly up to do her political thing. He is just one cool guy. He loves his kids and they’re important enough to him that having a career simply doesn’t matter to him anymore. And that is such a cool thing to see. They had two little ones when I lived with them and another baby girl arrived in March. So this young family is taking off to help change Malta for the better. They’re really excited and up to the task, and to them I wish Godspeed in the tasks ahead.
I shouldn’t drone further, but Wednesday was a particular busy day. I feel duly immersed in all things D.C. I hesitate to make a value judgment on whether that is good news of progressing the social ladder or a mark of slowly selling my soul to the city that has already claimed so many. But by God’s grace, I think I’m doing alright.