whims

two weeks, wha??

I feel like I've jumped through a time portal. Last I knew it was June 9th, I was home without a substantial summer job and out petitioning daily in the hot Nebraska sun to a wide array of responsive and not-quite-so responsive (or polite) Nebraska citizens. It's now June 23rd (Happy Birthday Julie!) How in the hell did I lose almost two weeks??? I'll tell you. I have to tell you everything now because I have had no time to until this point. The fact that I do have time now may point to the fact that something has again changed. My petitioning job turned into something more a week an a half ago: I was moved into the office and became the "Deputy Director of the Lincoln Office" Title. a real title. haha. That meant that for a salary (not hourly wage) I managed, hired, fired, and trained staff as well as selling my life to the campaign. Starting at 8:30 every morning, and working until 11pm every night, I absorbed as much about management as I could. It lasted 7 days. No, I haven't been fired. The campaign is over. The tribes who were sponsoring the initiative decided they didn't want to continue at this time, so three hours after we got the news in the office, the posters were down and the computer packed up. Wow. Fast turn around. These past two weeks have just been a flash of energy and opportunity. Luckily for me, that flash may have lasting effects: the company I who was running the campaign may move me to another location in the country to run another campaign. Oh wow! This is an amazing opportunity! I can hardly believe it. I feel very blessed. This is an actual job in grassroots politics that pays! I'm working with college grads with tons more experience for me (a great opportunity to find some fantastic mentors and role models) who are helpful, kind, and who want me to continue working with them! I don't know if it'll happen for sure, but both of my bosses from this campaign want to see me continue this summer on another campaign.

The whole experience has been very serendipitous and humbling. Since going to Italy I think of Lincoln not as the place where I have exciting, life changing experiences that further my goals and interests per say; I think of it more as a comfortable place where I come to decompress after having experiences that are those things and do relate to what I want to do and where I want to go with my life. I was selling it short. Look at this opportunity. You know, one of the partners of the company came to Lincoln for a few days to help on the campaign. She was sending emails and carbon copying them to Hillary Clinton. She was the senior VP of the Postal Service during 9/11 and the Anthrax scare! I drove here around Lincoln and while she spoke about other exciting political moments in her life, I stared at the streets of my home, the trees I've walked by for the majority of my cognizant life. It was a very surreal and humbling experience. Opportunity abounds many places. I was lucky in finding this.

So, I don't know what will happen but I've had a great time these past couple of weeks and have learned loads about the political world and being a manager. I'll keep you posted on what happens next!

posted by Marielly @ 5:47 PM