The Weight of Responsibility

First - can you imagine the look on my face when I found this shirt with the name of my hometown on it in a cheap clothing store in Gravesend? Of course I snatched it up for only £3 and the chance to say that Idaho Falls is so famous you can find shirts with the name all over the world . . .

Now, I have a great story to share with all my democracy-loving Americans.

The community at Lee Abbey elects a representative to act as a go-between when volunteers have problems or issues that arise and they don't feel comfortable to go to the head honchos themselves (usually because the problems have to do with all the laws and decrees that fuel this place).

Samuel was the former community representative. Allow me to interject that he was a fabulous representative, mixing just the right amount of respect and backbone to address issues with both the community and management here. His last official act was to elicit a promise from one community member that she would finish translating, "Please wash your own dishes" into every language used by the community to put above the community sink. Well done, Samu.

Unfortunately, Samuel left and his rather brief reign as community rep ended when he abandoned me to go hole up in Germany and learn a rather un-beautiful language (compared to Portuguese, but maybe I'm a bit biased ;).

A week before Samuel left, Lee Abbey's warden, David, announced that community members should give their nominations for the next representative to Samuel within a few days. David promptly approached Samuel a week later and asked for the names.

"No one has given me any names" Samuel replied. David was a bit taken aback, but then asked him, "Well, do you have a nomination?" "Yes." Samuel answered. "Brittney."

David asked me if I'd accept the "nomination," but told me that I accepting it would mean accepting the position. Because I had no one to run against, I would be automatically appointed to the position.

I agreed, but then had to laugh when I read the notice that was posted up on the community bulletin board.



Only in England would they dare to declare someone elected . . . and now I have no public mandate from an apathetic community to do a job that no one wants. Sounds like the perfect start to my political career. It could be worse - I could be the governor of California.