Farewell to a Friend

This morning, a true hero passed away.
 
At 59, Wendell Cutting left behind a legendary, world-wide reputation as a civil activist, philanthropist, and fierce advocate for women, children, and the poor.  Even so, I’ll always remember him as my personal champion and hero, and I grieve the passing of my friend.
 
Following my presentation to the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Board of Governors, Wendell provided comfort and encouragement as my family fought for accountability in the aftermath of my son’s assault.  In one memorable phone call, he laughed as he told stories of the many times he’d played tag with death. But then the tone of our conversation grew serious. “I’ve been told several times that I only have a few months to live,” he said, “but this time, I think the prediction is true.”  Before hanging up, he made a vow that has meant the world to me and my son: “I’ll fight to my dying breath to see that justice in your case is served.”
 
Wendell maintained his commitment to us and that promise until the very end. Behind the scenes, Wendell introduced me to Assembly Member Jay La Suer, who agreed to publicly endorse the legislation we proposed by serving as author for the bill. As Assembly Bill 2165 cleared obstacles and various committees, we called Wendell to share the good news. Even from his hospice bed, Wendell found the energy to cheer us on, reveling in each bit of progress we made. I’m very sad that he won’t be around to see the bill through to final passage, but I’m glad that he’s no longer in pain. 

Rest in peace, Wendell. You’ve worked hard on this earth, and you’ve earned your sleep.

Guilt-free Gatherings

In a past post, I compared LiveJournal to an office water cooler: a place where writers congregate and share gossip, good news, and gripes. But if, like me, you’ve ever questioned the value of spending valuable time on Live Journal, an article in last Friday’s USA Today should lay to rest any qualms you might have had.
 
Writer Janet Kornblum cites studies that indicate “Americans have a third fewer close friends and confidants than just two decades ago — a sign that people may be living lonelier, more isolated lives than in the past.” She suggests that the main reasons for this social distancing are that “More people live in the suburbs and spend more time at work … leaving less time to socialize or join groups.” Additionally, Kornblum says, “people have more entertainment tools such as TV, iPods and computers, so they can stay home and tune out.”  
 
I’m under no illusions that you’ll find deep intimacy on LiveJournal– if that’s a goal, it’s probably best to communicate off-line. But as Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone says, new trends, such as online social networking [read: LiveJournal], may help counter the effect” of our increased loneliness and isolation. This, of course, is something we and our community of LJ friends know from experience is trueSo from now on, when we meet and drink from our online water cooler, can we agree to leave behind that unwanted — and unwarranted — sense of guilt?

A Child Reviews Children’s Books

From CNN Entertainment Online, here’s a book-related story you won’t want to miss:

“When adults review children’s books, they often focus on the simplicity of the language. Or the beauty of the artwork. Or the appropriateness of the subject matter.

A child might be excited by something else — say, the hygiene habits of a grape. Or the ability of a story about a squirrel and a shark to conform to real life.

And sometimes, to borrow from Art Linkletter, kids say the darndest things.

With that in mind, CNN.com asked 6-year-old Andrew Oglesby, son of staffer Christy Oglesby, for his take on a handful of recently published children’s books. Here are Master Oglesby’s edited comments.

Get ‘er Done!

Thank you, brandie_writer for letting everyone know how things turned out in Sacramento, and thanks all of you for the fabulous welcome home! 

Short summary — plus pictures — of what I’ve been up to in the last couple of days:

Tuesday night, beachalatte and I got acquainted over dinner at an Italian bistro in Sacramento. I’ve always loved reading her richly textured, enthusiastic posts, but to actually meet her in person … what a gift! When Maya Angelou speaks about “rainbow people,” surely, she must have someone like Meg in mind. Sunshine radiates outward from Meg’s inner spirit, sending a full spectrum of bright colors out into her world. We talked for hours and hours, interrupted only occasionally by a solicitous waiter and, oh yes, the guy who elevator-eyed Meg approvingly as he passed by, did a double-take and then shouted, “Hey, nice legs!”

Here’s a photo of the two of us in the restaurant. Doesn’t the duck behind us look like it belongs in one of Meg’s picture books? And hey, will someone please tell me why, on the eve of a big event, my hair always and suddenly takes to looking shaggy and unkempt?
 
Around 11:00, Meg and I finally said goodnight. I spent the next couple of hours going over the Education Committee’s bill analysis, tweaking my presentation to address expressed concerns and factual omissions that might negatively influence the Senators’ votes. After coming this far, I wasn’t willing to leave anything to chance!

The hearing started at 8:30 Wednesday morning. By the time we got to first position on the docket, there were 6 (out of 11) Senators present. My heart sank. I knew the absentee Senators would have to weigh in by the end of the day, but I really wanted all of them there to hear my testimony before they voted. Nevertheless, I took my place in front of the dais and spoke confidently and from my heart. A few questions were asked and answered; a last-minute interloper in shorts and a tank top grabbed the mike for a bit of drama; and then the Chair called roll and recorded everyone’s vote. The final tally? A unanimous YES! 

Here’s a picture of Assembly Member Jay La Suer (the bill’s author) and me in his office, right after the vote.

As to next steps, the bill is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee for a review, which shouldn’t be a problem since there are no significant costs attached to implementing this law. It’ll be up for a full vote of the Senate within the next couple of weeks. Senators tend to follow the wishes of the policy committee(s) that review a bill prior to their vote, so this step shouldn’t be a problem either.  So…barring any unforeseen complications, Governor Schwarzenegger should be signing AB 2165 very soon!

Thursday’s agenda? A haircut appointment, horseback riding, writing time, and maybe even a nap.

UPDATE: User pic makeover, because Meg (very nicely) suggested I needed one.