Beam Me Up!

So the Boy Child is running for class president. I don't think you can imagine how involved this is. He has a campaign manager.... no really. We've made signs and pencil toppers, today he is handing out candy. He also has to write and give a speech. I tried VERY hard to get him to plagiarize this. He wouldn't have any of it. This is very serious business to him.

I grew up obsessed with genius-madman Jim Traficant. THE voice, face, and hair of politics where I hail from. If you know nothing about the man, I beg you to search out more. If nothing else you will be entertained. So what if he was convicted of racketeering, part of one of the most corrupt and dangerous precincts of the time, or a terrible judge of fashion? The things he talked about way back when are freakishly relevant now, even though he was considered a side-show act then.

I will never forget the first time teen-aged Pops walked into the room and realized I was glued to C-SPAN. The look of horror and confusion on his face was priceless. I told him to shut up and just watch Jimbo. He was mesmerized! Politicians just did not behave that way where he was from. Honestly I didn't even realize Traficant did not represent "normal" politics until that moment. Pops became a fan right then and there, and has even gone so far as to try to win some prison painted artwork. (Yes, our newscasters DO have names like Stan Boney.)

What does any of this have to do with a 5th grade class election? Nothing, really. Except there have been accusations of racketeering & strong-arming votes. The real importance of this election to me is that the Boy who we thought would never speak; the one that was in speech therapy for so many years; the child that I was sure I would have to go along with to college to interpret for is not nervous to give a speech in front of his entire class! Talk about progress.


The strangest part of this whole thing is that The Boy Child loves me so much that he really thought my homemade health-food muffins would win him votes. The very same muffins that contain not only graham flour, but also copious amounts of fiber and wheat germ. It is so funny to me what can become your "normal" just because it is from home. I guess just like Old Jim's toupee!

Our anticipation waiting to see what happens on Sept. 2nd. is almost as high as waiting to see what happens in the election today!