update on the 'politics for waitresses' thing...

I've had what I consider to be a real opportunity tossed into my lap,and while it's not going exactly the way I expected it to go,it's turning out to be a far better thing then I had anticipated. The link below goes to the earlier threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1447189

This past saturday night I went to the restaurant armed with my essay. I wasn't really satisfied with the way the essay had turned out. My intent had been to take the political process back to it's original simplest form,and build from there,but even in it's simplest form politics still seems to encompass everything that we are. Keeping it very simple seemed to accentuate glaring inconsistencies,and trying to explain the inconsistencies was not only waaaay beyond my scope of knowledge,but what I could explain,made the essay to long,boring and complex. Soooo...as a 'plan B' I took a letter that I had just received from my 'adopted soldier'.

The letter was a big hit,and one thing led to another and we wound up 'adopting' my soldiers platoon! Even the owner got into it and said the restaurant would foot the bill for the postage.(as some of you know..that can be HUGE). I work saturday nights at the restaurant,but I also own a little vending company,so I did the snacks,and the others brought in all sorts of good stuff to send them. I sent the boxes off today and I think the soldiers will be pleased. It occurred to me while I was packing the boxes though that this is a win,win, situation. Not only do the soldiers get some good stuff,but now the restaurant has a 'vested interest' in the war. Some of the people there had been paying attention,but most of them were pretty oblivious to the whole thing. I'm thinking 'adopting a soldier' will create far more awareness then anything I could say.

It occurred to me that maybe we make 'grassroots movements' to difficult. I had thought that rounding up potential dem voters would involve canvassing houses or something that I didn't know how to do..or really feel comfortable doing. Now I think that all we have to do is look around at the groups we are already involved with. I was lucky because people asked,but I don't know that people generally respond well to being 'told'. Maybe something like asking them to join us in adopting a soldier is all it will take to get the attention of the 'non-politicals'....and maybe that will also lead into other discussions that are invited,rather then thrust upon them.

I did wind up giving out the essay at the end of the night. I attached lots of 'caveats' ,but it was all fun and one server said that finding their way through it would be their 'homework' for this week. I'm going to tackle another essay,and narrow the scope this time,but I'm still working on it..lol. What's happening at the restaurant seems like such a simple thing,and it is really,but I can't tell you how many things I have learned from this experience.I'm going to take another look at the other 'groups' that are a part of my life and see if there are other 'adopt a soldier' openings out there somewhere,cause I'm thinking now that the first step to 'grassroots' is the people we already know.

Anyway,that was saturday night at Patricias Restaurant!

It's funny how when you go into a situation to be of service and without a rigid agenda the universe will support your efforts and make you successful beyond your imaginings

:yourock:

It really does work that way!! Hooray for karma:)