Madame Secretary II

Wow, State convention at home is MUCH HARDER than going off to a convention elsewhere. It's been years since they had it here, and I'd forgotten the grueling schedule. Besides, the first time around, I was really a spectator. This time I was early to everything and late to leave. I made it on about three hours of sleep a night since I had to drive back and forth an hour each way to get there and go home. (Never again: if they hold this in Houston again I am selling everything not nailed down to get a room. I was so tired and migrained-out by Saturday we had to pull over on the way home for me to throw up.)

This time I e-mailed the Senate District chair and told him I'd be happy to help out, so he asked me to be secretary again. Good thinking, actually, because the meetings were much shorter and I met many more people. Doing that job consisted of two meetings wherein I had to write down names of people being elected and time speakers. Way cool. And while I was up there doing that, the parliamentarian, an old hero of mine, gave me a treat.

Bill is the longtime parliamentary expert in my SD. He taught a "How to Get Involved in Your Precinct Convention" class ten years ago, and I hung on every word. Over the years I'd talked to him occasionally about political stuff at meetings, but he barely seemed to remember me. This year, however, when I worked on the Rules Committee for the SD, I told him that I had passed the Parliamentary Exam with a perfect score, and THAT got his attention.

He began talking about having me move into his slot as parliamentarian. This makes sense as he's getting older, but I also think he likes the idea of mentoring someone. Besides, nobody else seems the least interested in doing it. That's how I found my way to being elected from our SD to the County Rules Committee, a good first step, even if I ran unopposed. Bill got appointed to the committee so he didn't have to go through the election process, and he'll be there to help me out. But at this meeting it sounded as if Bill is thinking of moving me into his slot on the STATE RULES COMMITTEE. Gulp!

So at the SD meeting at State, I was telling Bill how I had been at the Rules committee meeting until eleven the night before, watching him and his counterparts argue over things like adding the word "intentional" to a rule. He hadn't believed I was interested so much until I said that, so I replied "Bill, I've been going to those meetings for eight years, four conventions now; didn't you know that?" Apparently this impressed him to no end because NOBODY goes to those meetings unless they have a particular rule change to advocate.

After we talk and the meeting comes to order, Bill gets up to report on the Rules Committee meeting to the SD body. In the course of his report he mentions me twice as a parliamentarian and as a person who has an abiding interest in the rules, so much so that I go sit through these dull meetings. I have to say, it's nice to be recognized for being a nerd.

Later that evening I met up with a high school buddy who wanted to take me to a Young Republican event. With nothing better to do, I went, and it made me feel old. They're all in their late twenties, but one of them is a city councilman in the small town where my friend lives. Yeesh!

However, at that event the guy running for our SD in the Texas Senate strolled in. Since I was secretary, he remembered me, and came over. We chatted for a bit, but then he burst out with "I have to tell you, I've never heard Bill sing anyone's praises so warmly, ever. Not once, but twice!" Which makes me feel all sorts of special, I have to say. I'll probably end up working for his campaign, but first there's the Rules meeting on Monday where I get to sit at the grown-up table for the first time.

It may take a while, but yes, I am on my way to ruling the world. In such a nerdy way, too.