Lunch with our Congressmen in D.C.

The second of the two may be charged to petulance on my part, maybe ... but ...

... I learned, as a casual mention by our lead ranger, Elizabeth, when she stopped by to pick me up for work on Saturday morning -- as we were going over that day's doings.  I was reminded that a group of 50 students from Los Medanos and Diablo Valley community colleges would be present for an eleven o'clock extra program today.  But, in addition, and what had not been mentioned before that very moment at a stoplight on the Richmond Parkway -- Rep. Mark DeSaulnier and his staff would be coming for my two o'clock talk, in addition to a Boy Scout Troop of ten plus members of the general public who would be in the Visitor Center at that time.

I'm not sure anyone should be surprised that I might have wished to be informed that a member of the House of Representatives and his 12-person staff would be coming to have lunch in our classroom and would attend my two o'clock program.  How could something so important have escaped notice?  ("Didn't Kelli tell you?")

I was asked if I'd like to have lunch with them, and found myself saying no, not because I wouldn't have loved to do so, but the entire announcement had come at me so fast that I couldn't imagine what it would be like if I gave it too much consideration at this point.  Best to tamp it down into insignificance and tuck it into some unoccupied corner of my mind for now.   If I were going to retain the necessary calm needed to do my program (2 programs!), I'd need to keep this at arm's length. To have lunch with them and then immediately try to regain enough composure to gather my thoughts together would simply be too much to expect of myself.  Maybe this is what separates the amateurs from the pros, right?  Since I don't work from a script or notes, but am bringing up memories from deep places each time I sit on that kitchen stool, it truly matters what happens during that hour from one 'til two when I try to enter and command that small theater space.


I did it.

But when I glanced at the clock on the back wall it was clear that my talk ended ten minutes earlier than usual, and I could not imagine what had been left out ... .

Perhaps it didn't matter.  But what does that say?

And I did feel that our Congressman got short-changed, though we'll probably never know how and why.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier and his staff had been so gracious when we were in Washington last year, and I'd so love to have had the pleasure of anticipating his visit to our park site in Richmond.

Anticipation is such an important feature in extending pleasurable experiences, isn't it?

I'll send a message, but, since he can't possibly know what I'm regretting, just how does one do that?

So much gets trapped in the nuances of life, doesn't it?