A bright, sunny summer’s day. The kind of day where the sun is beating down just enough so that one is relieved to get indoors. In city hall that day, the escape indoors did little for the four people in a stuffy room at the end of the hall on the third floor. The ancient air conditioning unit chugged on hopefully, but to no avail. A bead of perspiration formed on the judge’s upper lip as she rapped her podium with her pen impatiently.
“…Speak now or forever hold you peace.” She raised her eyebrows at a bored looking secretary standing idly diagonally behind the engaged couple. The secretary furrows her brow as if to say, “How would I know?” but then gives a shake of her head indicating that she had no objections to the union. She then glanced at her watch anxiously. For the secretary, this was the worst part of her job. It wasn’t even supposed to be her job. But when naïve young couples like the present Sarah Howard and Steven Johnson come into city hall to get married, not knowing that they needed a witness, the secretary often stepped in, much to her discomfort.
The secretary studies the young couple with interest. She normally saw two kinds of wedding at city hall. There’s the shotgun, someone’s a little too pregnant for the big white dress church ceremony wedding, and then there’s the couple with a head over heels (normally trying too hard) bride and a groom who is obviously gritting his teeth at the very idea of marriage…but doesn’t want to lose her or whatever his reason may be. For some reason, this couple didn’t seem to fit into this mold. They seem so normal. She continued to wonder why Sarah Howard and Steven Johnson would go for a wedding ceremony with the same amount of charm as a trip to the DMV.
In truth, city hall had never been Sarah or Steven’s idea of a dream wedding. Far from it, in fact. The real reason for the impromptu ceremony actually goes back about four generations into Sarah Howard’s family. The story goes that her Great, great, great grandfather Howard was engaged to marry this girl when, ten minutes before the ceremony, his best friend informed him that he had, ahem, already deflowered the beloved bride. Many a time. Sarah’s great, great, great grandfather (who always had quite the temper) waited until right before he was supposed to say “I do” and instead of vowing to bind himself to his bride forever, he pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the heart multiple times. It was really quite the scandal.
One might ask what this has to do with Sarah and Steven. It seems that, ever since this fateful tragedy, a curse has been set on Sarah’s family, so that at every wedding the Howard family hosts, a family member suffers an untimely death. One might say this is only silly superstition, but the previous year Sarah’s brother regarded the story as such and right during the vows their Uncle Ernie was stung by a bee and died of an unknown bee allergy. So, Sarah and Steven weren’t willing to take any risks.
They are more then content as they say their “I do’s” in front of complete strangers, knowing that no family members were at risk because of their union. After the ceremony, the secretary’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she blurts out to the couple:
“Why are you getting married in city hall?” The couple exchanges a look, slightly taken aback. Steven proceeds to shrug his shoulders, knowing that Sarah did not want to get into her family history.
“Stage fright.”
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Writing Assignment 5 Draft 2
“Here, you just need to fill out this paperwork here, and do you have a witness?” The secretary sitting behind the desk asks us as if she already knows the answer to her own question. I look over at Steven who looks more surprised then I am. I had an inkling that we would run into this problem.
“Could you possibly step in? We really don’t have time to go find someone.” I ask eagerly. The secretary sighs and nods, filling out the witness line on the clipboard. A stab of guilt pierces my stomach, but hey, maybe the curse didn’t work on strangers. Hopefully.
City hall had never exactly been my dream wedding. Far from it, in fact. But Steven was my dream husband, and I wanted out marriage to be perfect…so I knew he’d understand. His family, on the other hand…
It’s just this…curse. Well, that’s what we call it—the Howard family wedding curse. It all started with my great, great, great grandfather Howard. The story goes that he was engaged to marry this girl when, ten minutes before the ceremony, his best friend informed him that he had, ahem, already deflowered his beloved bride. Many a time. This was back in the day before that kind of thing was less unheard of. Well, my great, great, great grandfather (who always had quite the temper apparently) waited until right before he was supposed to say “I do” and instead of vowing to bind himself to her forever, he pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the heart multiple times. It was really quite the scandal.
What does this have to do with me you may ask? Well, ever since this horrible tragedy happened at almost every single wedding the Howard family hosts a family member dies. I’m not kidding, my great grandfather’s unfaithful fiancée must have risen from the dead to curse the weddings of the Howard’s forever. Last year, my brother disregarded the curse as a bunch of bologna and just as he’s saying his vows a bee stung my Uncle Ernie and, it turning out that he’s deathly allergic of bees, he died on the spot.
So I’m not willing to take any risks, and Steven, being the saint that he is, agrees to go along with it. And of course my family isn’t complaining since no one wants to be next.
So city hall works for me. Sure, the ceremony is charmless, but at least there are no tragic deaths. As we are leaving the room as man and wife I notice for the first time that the secretary is looking at us rather awkwardly. I raise my eyebrows questioningly.
“Why are you getting married in city hall?” She blurts out. An odd question, I thought. I find myself not knowing what to say, not wanting to get into the Howard family history. As usual, Steven sweeps in and saves the day.
“Stage fright.” He says, shrugging his shoulders. He really is the perfect man.
“Could you possibly step in? We really don’t have time to go find someone.” I ask eagerly. The secretary sighs and nods, filling out the witness line on the clipboard. A stab of guilt pierces my stomach, but hey, maybe the curse didn’t work on strangers. Hopefully.
City hall had never exactly been my dream wedding. Far from it, in fact. But Steven was my dream husband, and I wanted out marriage to be perfect…so I knew he’d understand. His family, on the other hand…
It’s just this…curse. Well, that’s what we call it—the Howard family wedding curse. It all started with my great, great, great grandfather Howard. The story goes that he was engaged to marry this girl when, ten minutes before the ceremony, his best friend informed him that he had, ahem, already deflowered his beloved bride. Many a time. This was back in the day before that kind of thing was less unheard of. Well, my great, great, great grandfather (who always had quite the temper apparently) waited until right before he was supposed to say “I do” and instead of vowing to bind himself to her forever, he pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the heart multiple times. It was really quite the scandal.
What does this have to do with me you may ask? Well, ever since this horrible tragedy happened at almost every single wedding the Howard family hosts a family member dies. I’m not kidding, my great grandfather’s unfaithful fiancée must have risen from the dead to curse the weddings of the Howard’s forever. Last year, my brother disregarded the curse as a bunch of bologna and just as he’s saying his vows a bee stung my Uncle Ernie and, it turning out that he’s deathly allergic of bees, he died on the spot.
So I’m not willing to take any risks, and Steven, being the saint that he is, agrees to go along with it. And of course my family isn’t complaining since no one wants to be next.
So city hall works for me. Sure, the ceremony is charmless, but at least there are no tragic deaths. As we are leaving the room as man and wife I notice for the first time that the secretary is looking at us rather awkwardly. I raise my eyebrows questioningly.
“Why are you getting married in city hall?” She blurts out. An odd question, I thought. I find myself not knowing what to say, not wanting to get into the Howard family history. As usual, Steven sweeps in and saves the day.
“Stage fright.” He says, shrugging his shoulders. He really is the perfect man.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Writing Assignment 5 Draft 1
It’s gotten really stuffy in the room. I pull at my starched collar a bit, glancing towards to the window air conditioning unit to see if it’s on. Despite the rattling coming from the west window, there doesn’t seem to be any proof that the decrepit thing is actually cooling the ancient room. I glance at my watch quickly. 12:04. Technically, I was supposed to be on my lunch break four minutes ago.
“…Speak now or forever hold your peace.” A pen taps hard against the podium and I snap my head up. Judge Mills is looking at me, eyebrows raised expectedly. I feel myself furrow my brow as if to say “How would I know?” But then shake my head. Honestly, this is the worst part of my job. It’s not even supposed to be my job, but I’ve always been a pushover. So when young naïve couples show up to city hall to get married, not knowing they needed to bring a witness, I always get asked as they fill out the paperwork I hand them. And I, of course, say yes. I mean, who am I to stand in the way of young love, even for the hour it would take to run outside and find another witness?
I’ve been a last minute witness for 77 weddings in my three years of working as a secretary here, and I always feel a little grimy afterwards. I can’t exactly place my finger on it, but whenever I sign my name on the witness line I feel like I lying. How do I know that it’s ethically okay I’m supporting these marriages? I never know if the couple is right for each other, in general I know them for approximately ten minutes prior to the ceremony.
I consider the couple in front of me. Sarah Howard and Steven Johnson. Nice, generic names. Steven Johnson is plain look enough, nondescript sandy brown hair, and similar eyes, medium height…I would guess around 5’ 9”. His bride is pretty much the same, a little shorter, slightly mousy brown hair, pale skin. I’m focusing on the plainness of this couple when I suddenly realize that there’s something very different about them…they’re so…normal.
I generally see two kinds of weddings here at city hall. There’s the shotgun, someone’s a little-too-pregnant for the big white dress church ceremony wedding, and then there’s the couple with a head over heels (normally trying too hard) bride and a groom who is obviously gritting his teeth at the very idea of marriage…but doesn’t want to lose her or whatever his reason may be.
This couple doesn’t seem to fit into either of these stereotypes. I watch them look at each other excitedly, speaking the vows that have echoed in this room thousands of times before, and they actually look happy. Suddenly I am reeling with curiosity. Why would this normal, relatively happy couple opt for this ceremony that has as much charm as a visit to the DMV? I know it’s probably rude, but after the vows and they are walking out the door, I blurt it out.
“Why are you getting married in city hall?” The couple stops and looks at me, calculatingly. The guy shrugs his shoulders.
“Stage fright.” I nod and let them leave the room. I think it really is time to get a new job. All this speculating is exhausting me.
“…Speak now or forever hold your peace.” A pen taps hard against the podium and I snap my head up. Judge Mills is looking at me, eyebrows raised expectedly. I feel myself furrow my brow as if to say “How would I know?” But then shake my head. Honestly, this is the worst part of my job. It’s not even supposed to be my job, but I’ve always been a pushover. So when young naïve couples show up to city hall to get married, not knowing they needed to bring a witness, I always get asked as they fill out the paperwork I hand them. And I, of course, say yes. I mean, who am I to stand in the way of young love, even for the hour it would take to run outside and find another witness?
I’ve been a last minute witness for 77 weddings in my three years of working as a secretary here, and I always feel a little grimy afterwards. I can’t exactly place my finger on it, but whenever I sign my name on the witness line I feel like I lying. How do I know that it’s ethically okay I’m supporting these marriages? I never know if the couple is right for each other, in general I know them for approximately ten minutes prior to the ceremony.
I consider the couple in front of me. Sarah Howard and Steven Johnson. Nice, generic names. Steven Johnson is plain look enough, nondescript sandy brown hair, and similar eyes, medium height…I would guess around 5’ 9”. His bride is pretty much the same, a little shorter, slightly mousy brown hair, pale skin. I’m focusing on the plainness of this couple when I suddenly realize that there’s something very different about them…they’re so…normal.
I generally see two kinds of weddings here at city hall. There’s the shotgun, someone’s a little-too-pregnant for the big white dress church ceremony wedding, and then there’s the couple with a head over heels (normally trying too hard) bride and a groom who is obviously gritting his teeth at the very idea of marriage…but doesn’t want to lose her or whatever his reason may be.
This couple doesn’t seem to fit into either of these stereotypes. I watch them look at each other excitedly, speaking the vows that have echoed in this room thousands of times before, and they actually look happy. Suddenly I am reeling with curiosity. Why would this normal, relatively happy couple opt for this ceremony that has as much charm as a visit to the DMV? I know it’s probably rude, but after the vows and they are walking out the door, I blurt it out.
“Why are you getting married in city hall?” The couple stops and looks at me, calculatingly. The guy shrugs his shoulders.
“Stage fright.” I nod and let them leave the room. I think it really is time to get a new job. All this speculating is exhausting me.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Writing Assignment 4 Draft 2
Dear Mr. President Obama,
Congratulations on your win! I am so thrilled you are our new president, I have so much faith in what you can do for our country. I truly admire your bravery in taking on the job of putting pieces of our country back together after the catastrophe of the Bush administration.
Among the many issues that you are now faced with, I think that the issue of proper sex-education in schools and pro-choice laws in the United States is particularly pressing. The conservative rules and policies passed during the Bush administration, while most likely well meant, are impractical, unfair, and in most cases are the effects of personal opinions that grossly defy laws regarding church and state.
I think it is extremely important for proper sex education to be an nationwide program. Abstinence based sex-ed programs are not only impractical in our current society, but also harmful to teenagers. Teaching teenagers about prevention is not a way to encourage them to have sex, but a way to keep them safe so that the issue of abortion is barely an issue at all. Did you know that states that have abstinence based sex-ed programs on average have a higher rate of teen pregnancies then states that do not? Those statistics speak for themselves. By making proper sex education programs a federal policy, these statistics can change.
On the matter of abortion, I understand why people have problems with it morally. I myself am not 100% sure I am comfortable with the ethics of it. But that doesn't change the fact that it is still a woman's personal choice whether or not to have an abortion, not the choice of the government. By making abortion illegal, there will be a messy domino effect of the abandonment of unwanted children, leading to an overflow in the foster care program, and eventually resulting in a generation of very messed up kids. People not ready or willing to be parents will still not be ready or willing whether or not they have the baby or not.
Your quote "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." caused an uproar of complaints among the anti-choice crowds, who argued that a baby is not a punishment. Well Mr President, I couldn't agree with you more. To most inexperienced teenage girls, a child is in every way a punishment, physically, financially, and mentally. Unfortunately accidents are a part of life and will always continue to be so. So while abortion is not necessarily the answer in most cases, it is an option that should remain open to women, and hopefully, in time it will not have to be an option because people will be aware of and able to access proper prevention for unwanted pregnancies.
While I know your policies agree with most of what I am saying, I hope that you are able to convince people who oppose pro-choice and proper sex education legislation. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I know that you above anyone have the ability to help our nation.
Your faithful citizen,
Rebecca Edwards
Congratulations on your win! I am so thrilled you are our new president, I have so much faith in what you can do for our country. I truly admire your bravery in taking on the job of putting pieces of our country back together after the catastrophe of the Bush administration.
Among the many issues that you are now faced with, I think that the issue of proper sex-education in schools and pro-choice laws in the United States is particularly pressing. The conservative rules and policies passed during the Bush administration, while most likely well meant, are impractical, unfair, and in most cases are the effects of personal opinions that grossly defy laws regarding church and state.
I think it is extremely important for proper sex education to be an nationwide program. Abstinence based sex-ed programs are not only impractical in our current society, but also harmful to teenagers. Teaching teenagers about prevention is not a way to encourage them to have sex, but a way to keep them safe so that the issue of abortion is barely an issue at all. Did you know that states that have abstinence based sex-ed programs on average have a higher rate of teen pregnancies then states that do not? Those statistics speak for themselves. By making proper sex education programs a federal policy, these statistics can change.
On the matter of abortion, I understand why people have problems with it morally. I myself am not 100% sure I am comfortable with the ethics of it. But that doesn't change the fact that it is still a woman's personal choice whether or not to have an abortion, not the choice of the government. By making abortion illegal, there will be a messy domino effect of the abandonment of unwanted children, leading to an overflow in the foster care program, and eventually resulting in a generation of very messed up kids. People not ready or willing to be parents will still not be ready or willing whether or not they have the baby or not.
Your quote "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." caused an uproar of complaints among the anti-choice crowds, who argued that a baby is not a punishment. Well Mr President, I couldn't agree with you more. To most inexperienced teenage girls, a child is in every way a punishment, physically, financially, and mentally. Unfortunately accidents are a part of life and will always continue to be so. So while abortion is not necessarily the answer in most cases, it is an option that should remain open to women, and hopefully, in time it will not have to be an option because people will be aware of and able to access proper prevention for unwanted pregnancies.
While I know your policies agree with most of what I am saying, I hope that you are able to convince people who oppose pro-choice and proper sex education legislation. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I know that you above anyone have the ability to help our nation.
Your faithful citizen,
Rebecca Edwards
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Writing Assignment 4 Draft 1
Dear Mr. President Barack Obama,
Congratulations on your win! I am so thrilled you are our new president, I have so much faith in what you can do for our country. I truly admire your bravery in taking on putting the pieces of our country back together after the catastrophe of the Bush administration.
Among the many issues that you are now faced with, I think that the issue of proper sex-education in schools and pro-choice laws in the United States is particularly pressing. The conservative rules and policies passed during the Bush administration, while most likely well meant, are impractical, unfair, and in most cases are the effects of personal opinions that grossly defy laws regarding church and state.
I think it is extremely important for proper sex education to be an nationwide program. Abstinence based sex-ed programs are not only impractical in our current society, but also harmful to teenagers. Teaching teenagers about prevention is not a way to encourage them to have sex, but a way to keep them safe so that the issue of abortion is barely an issue at all. Did you know that states that have abstinence based sex-ed programs on average have a higher rate of teen pregnancies then states that do not? Those statistics speak for themselves. By making proper sex education programs a federal policy, these statistics can change.
On the matter of abortion, I understand why people have problems with it morally. I myself am not 100% sure I am comfortable with the ethics of it. But that doesn't change the fact that it is still a woman's personal choice whether or not to have an abortion, not the choice of the government. By making abortion illegal, it will be a messy domino effect of abandonment of children, an overflow in the foster care program, and eventually a generation of very messed up kids. People not ready or willing to be parents will still not be ready or willing whether or not they have the baby or not.
Your quote "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." caused an uproar of complaints among the anti-choice crowds, who argued that a baby is not a punishment. Well Mr President, I couldn't agree with you more. To most inexperienced teenage girls, a child is in every way a punishment, physically, financially, and mentally. Unfortunately accidents are a part of life and will always continue to be so. So while abortion is not necessarily the answer in most cases, it is an option that should remain open to women, and hopefully, in time it will not have to be an option because people will be aware of and able to access proper prevention for unwanted pregnancies.
While I know your policies agree with most of what I am saying, I hope that you are able to convince people who oppose pro-choice and proper sex education legislation. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I know that you above anyone have the ability to help our nation.
Your faithful citizen,
Rebecca Edwards
Congratulations on your win! I am so thrilled you are our new president, I have so much faith in what you can do for our country. I truly admire your bravery in taking on putting the pieces of our country back together after the catastrophe of the Bush administration.
Among the many issues that you are now faced with, I think that the issue of proper sex-education in schools and pro-choice laws in the United States is particularly pressing. The conservative rules and policies passed during the Bush administration, while most likely well meant, are impractical, unfair, and in most cases are the effects of personal opinions that grossly defy laws regarding church and state.
I think it is extremely important for proper sex education to be an nationwide program. Abstinence based sex-ed programs are not only impractical in our current society, but also harmful to teenagers. Teaching teenagers about prevention is not a way to encourage them to have sex, but a way to keep them safe so that the issue of abortion is barely an issue at all. Did you know that states that have abstinence based sex-ed programs on average have a higher rate of teen pregnancies then states that do not? Those statistics speak for themselves. By making proper sex education programs a federal policy, these statistics can change.
On the matter of abortion, I understand why people have problems with it morally. I myself am not 100% sure I am comfortable with the ethics of it. But that doesn't change the fact that it is still a woman's personal choice whether or not to have an abortion, not the choice of the government. By making abortion illegal, it will be a messy domino effect of abandonment of children, an overflow in the foster care program, and eventually a generation of very messed up kids. People not ready or willing to be parents will still not be ready or willing whether or not they have the baby or not.
Your quote "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." caused an uproar of complaints among the anti-choice crowds, who argued that a baby is not a punishment. Well Mr President, I couldn't agree with you more. To most inexperienced teenage girls, a child is in every way a punishment, physically, financially, and mentally. Unfortunately accidents are a part of life and will always continue to be so. So while abortion is not necessarily the answer in most cases, it is an option that should remain open to women, and hopefully, in time it will not have to be an option because people will be aware of and able to access proper prevention for unwanted pregnancies.
While I know your policies agree with most of what I am saying, I hope that you are able to convince people who oppose pro-choice and proper sex education legislation. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I know that you above anyone have the ability to help our nation.
Your faithful citizen,
Rebecca Edwards
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Writing Assignment 3 Draft 2
Come and take a step back with me—
And view this cycle objectively.
Do you see this caricature of oppression?
You once stepped on his formerly innocent toes.
Do you feel that ring of familiarity?
Or perhaps you remember this tyrant—
She was the one who, so long ago
You expelled onto an island of humiliation.
Could it be that these menaces of society,
Are really the offspring of our former jealousies?
And view this cycle objectively.
Do you see this caricature of oppression?
You once stepped on his formerly innocent toes.
Do you feel that ring of familiarity?
Or perhaps you remember this tyrant—
She was the one who, so long ago
You expelled onto an island of humiliation.
Could it be that these menaces of society,
Are really the offspring of our former jealousies?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Writing Assignment 3 Draft 1
Take a step back with me—
And view this cycle objectively.
See this caricature of oppression?
You once stepped on his formerly innocent toes.
Do you feel a ring of familiarity?
No?
Perhaps you remember this tyrant—
She was the one who, so long ago
You expelled onto an island of desperation and humiliation.
Could it be that the menaces of society,
Are really the offspring of our former jealousies?
Think with me, just for a moment now.
What a novel idea!
That the sparing of one’s feelings now—
Could lead to the sparing of lives later?
And view this cycle objectively.
See this caricature of oppression?
You once stepped on his formerly innocent toes.
Do you feel a ring of familiarity?
No?
Perhaps you remember this tyrant—
She was the one who, so long ago
You expelled onto an island of desperation and humiliation.
Could it be that the menaces of society,
Are really the offspring of our former jealousies?
Think with me, just for a moment now.
What a novel idea!
That the sparing of one’s feelings now—
Could lead to the sparing of lives later?
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