Sunday, August 23, 2009

Peace

Well, I now have a real job. I can't believe I got a job at a publishing company as I have been hoping for years now. I had no idea that my internship would be so instrumental to my career. Of course, I also did not plan on starting my career pregnant, but life tends to be unpredictable. I owe so much to Sarah (my internship editor boss). She really went out of her way to help me land a job. Tomorrow I start my second official week as a professional. Seriously, though it has been really good. I like working normal hours, and having weekends off. Plus the actual work is fairly interesting, especially working with the different titles. It would be so sweet to be an editor someday.

This weekend was incredible. So peaceful, and full of love, good food, and knitting.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Letting Strangers into the Apartment

Yesterday I was walking home from the grocery store. I had just purchased the oreo ice cream cake for Andy's birthday, and I was rushing to get it into the freezer. It was around 6pm and the traffic on 16th street was nuts as always. I heard a woman yell at me from her car at the curb: "Hey can I use your cell phone?!" I did a double take and realized she really was talking to me. It was a young black woman. "My car won't start, and my cell phone gave out because I haven't payed the bill. Can I use your cell phone?" she implored me. For a second I envisioned handing her my phone and watching her take off into the very slow traffic, but I let her use the phone.

She confessed to me that she didn't have enough money for a tow truck. I really had no response to this because I knew that around 7am her car would be towed whether she had the money or not. About that time, she told she was bi-polar, and now I totally believe her. She ended up crying next to me on my couch, telling me how messed up her life was. I felt bad, but I really had no idea how to respond.

I was finally able to send her off to the metro, with her tears dry. I sat exhausted on the couch for about five minutes when Andy walked in from work. "What have you been up to?" He asked. Realizing I had been trying to help Najat for about three hours, I had a very long story to tell him.