Dinner time at our house means no television. It means we all sit at the table to eat and talk about the day. That’s the hope, however, with a three and one-year-old, we’re not having much in the way of meaningful table conversation. Instead we’re begging one to come back to his seat between bites, and trying to keep the other from sticking food up his nose. If anything, we’re trying to teach them the importance of breaking bread together, without distraction from the idiot box.
With our burgers and fries, we watched Mrs. Clinton take the stage in her white suit, and do what she’s always done: defend herself while trying to make you like her.
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Except Thursday evening, the last night of the Democratic National Convention, the night Hillary Clinton officially accepted the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. In California, it was smack in the middle of our dinner time.
Chelsea had just finished her speech when I returned home with the boys and an order from Burger Lounge. I over-ordered, having been on a work trip for four days, giving my wife a much-needed break from the little guys and from cooking. With our burgers and fries, we watched Mrs. Clinton take the stage in her white suit, and do what she’s always done: defend herself while trying to make you like her.
She plays the role of hard-ass and matriarch because that’s what she knows. That’s what society expects of her, and of all women. This isn’t an episode of Mad Men, for Pete’s sake. It’s 2016.
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You have to take politicians with a grain of salt, and Hillary is no exception, but what’s sticking with me is her determination. She must really want this. I mean, she’s old enough to be every Millennial’s grandmother. And what are grandmothers in this world if not the historical memory of society? They’ve always been there, supporting the family in good times and in bad, sometimes quietly in the background, and others times at center stage. What make grandmothers different is their ability to tolerate and accept it all. I see Hillary Clinton in the same way. She plays the role of hard-ass and matriarch because that’s what she knows. That’s what society expects of her, and of all women. This isn’t an episode of Mad Men, for Pete’s sake. It’s 2016.
We contributed to the universal foundation of family that Hillary spoke about throughout her speech. A concept I haven’t heard the other guy even mention.
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After we finished our takeout dinner, we turned off the T.V. and moved on with the nightly ritual of washing up the boys and putting them to bed. With our steady and gentle hands, we shepherded our children from one day into the next, with an historical moment in the immediate past. We contributed to the universal foundation of family that Hillary spoke about throughout her speech. A concept I haven’t heard the other guy even mention.
As I watched Hillary recast herself on the national stage, I couldn’t help but feel proud of her. She’s going to keep at this and will do all she can to beat her opponent. She’s asking us, as all mothers and grandmothers do, to really use our heads and make the right choice. She’s steadily negotiating with all of us children, using classic Mom techniques, blending a whole lot of policy with a good amount of love.
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Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker.