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What can I do while I wait for my freshly painted pantry to dry?
Why, write an essay! Okay, let me go back and start from the
beginning--before I ever picked up my paintbrush.
Why does everything
always happen at once? Last week, I suddenly encountered two
plumbing problems at the same time. Plus, the doorknob on my
pantry door broke off. One of the plumbing problems involved
replacing the kitchen faucet and a turn-off valve. Well, in the
process of emptying out all my cleaning supplies from underneath
the sink and wiping up all the water, I noticed that the sink
cabinet floor was really cruddy. A paint job was overdue.
Every time I begin
a home improvement project, one repair always seems to lead to
another. Since I had to buy paint anyway, I decided to paint my
pantry also. That way, I would have a spotless pantry to
compliment the shiny new doorknob (which I installed myself). And,
the painted pantry would match the painted floor of the sink
cabinet.
What does all this
have to do with Michelle Obama's handbag? Well, the directions
said to wait four hours for the paint to dry before putting on a
second coat. So, what was I do for four hours? I decided to rest
my sore muscles and surf the internet for a while. I came across
an article about the first lady in the online New York Daily
News.
It seems that a
certain designer manufacturer claimed that Mrs. Obama was carrying
one of their handbags on her recent trip to Russia. The handbag
(an alligator clutch) sold for $5,950. The White House denied
this, and said that Mrs. Obama's handbag (a patent leather clutch)
was not purchased from that manufacturer and that her bag cost
$875.
Personally, I do not
begrudge Mrs. Obama an $875 handbag. I want the first lady to
look nice, to develop her own sense of style and feel confident
before dignitaries as well as critical fashion experts, and to
represent America to the world. Comparatively, I think Mrs. Obama
showed some financial restraint by purchasing a handbag that cost
only $875. Yes, she could have gotten an equally nice but
less coveted bag for one-third to one-half the price--and maybe
that would have been more appropriate given our nation's current
economic turmoil--but the $875 handbag itself does not bother me.
Even so, this is
what I hope for Mrs. Obama. I hope she appreciates America's
capitalistic system which enabled her to buy the handbag. I hope
she understands the benefits of our post-Civil Rights society which
enabled her to live in the White House and to travel to Russia. I
hope she told the Russians that America is a great country. I hope
when she gets tired of the handbag that she will donate it to or
auction it off for charity. I hope Mrs. Obama will count her
blessings.
While browsing the
New York Daily News I came across an article about another
prominent person, Frank Mickens, who turned a severely dysfunctional
Brooklyn high school into a place of academic excellence. Mickens
died on July 9, 2009, at age 63. He was a hardworking but
controversial figure--controversial because he required the boys to
wear ties and he enforced discipline by personally patrolling the
school grounds and by dispensing lengthy suspensions for
misbehavior. Nevertheless, under Mickens' leadership the school
reached a level of 85 percent of its students entering college.
To the credit of the
New York Daily News, the article about Mickens was longer
than the article about Mrs. Obama's handbag. Mickens was not
given national coverage but, as is true of teachers, principals,
and coaches, he was dedicated to helping young people. Those kids
are now adults (Mickens had retired in 2004) and some of them will
preserve the positive impact of his style and effort.
Okay, it has been
four hours and my paint is dry. The pantry looks so nice that I
have decided to paint the interior of all the kitchen cupboards.
I will need another bucket of paint to do everything right, but I
think it is worth another $13.95 to make the place look better.
My arms and back will ache even more, but then I can enjoy living
in a friendlier environment. (Written 07/13/09: bibliography available.)
Until we meet
again....... .......stay sane.
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