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Nancy Drew reporting for duty
[First of all, today was a blast. Once I wrapped my head around the fact that this was really just a series of conversations with people who might be able to use the information I had to give (and once I realized that most of the staffers on the hill are slightly older than my eldest daughter), I was okay. Excited, in fact.
I met with Senator rhymes-with-Frown and his staffer, the child and family issues legislative staffer for Senator rhymes-with-Harry, and Congresswoman rhymes-with-Songbus and her staffer. A full day, great conversations and possibilities for more, and I made it through without hyperventilating. I almost fell down the marble stairs of the Russell Senate Office Building once, though. I'm so classy.]
. . .
At one point, I was sitting on the grounds of the Capitol between appointments, contemplating collecting leaves for Maddy's 50-leaf science project (that dreaded, infamous freshman science rite of passage), when I heard a big crash. Some guy in a white SUV had backed into a red porsche. The sound of the crunch made it obvious that there was damage. The guy looked in his rearview, glanced around, and put the car in drive & left. I was appalled! He pulled past the guard booth at the edge of the Capitol grounds and stopped at the red light.
Suddenly all of my Nancy Drew indoctrination kicked in. I pulled out my phone and noted his license and dashed over to the guard booth. "Sir!" I yelled, galumphing across the grass gracelessly. (Isn't it awesome how sophisticated I can be?) "Stop that car! He just backed into that Porsche and left!" The police guy ran over and waved the hit-and-runner back. And then I called Ned to go meet for a milkshake. And then I remembered I wasn't Nancy Drew.
Every time I passed the lot for the rest of the afternoon, there were a swarm of police and the poor guy was in big trouble.
I felt like such a tattletale.
. . .
Which leads me to relate the following bad memory (cue backflash music): 2nd grade, ancient Mrs. Olson's class. Someone broke the rules on the playground and I was very concerned for the (a) fairness and (b) safety of the situation. I went directly to Mrs. Olson and reported the crime.
Much to my dismay, Mrs. Olson did not appreciate my vigilance. She seemed not to even care about the rules. Not only did she not thank me for my whistleblowing, she required me to WEAR A TATTLE TAIL for the rest of the day. As in: a paper tail, pinned to my behind, all day long. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Oh, the shame.
I can't help it. I'm an oldest child and we believe in following the rules. If that means reporting infractions now and then, so be it.
Nancy Drew do-gooder, tattletale. Such a fine line.
. . .
Listen: Stay Don't Go ~ Spoon
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Reader Comments (14)
i can relate to this post in a shamefully enormous way.
I say good for you, Nancy Drew. :)
I'll bet the owner of the porsche is glad for your quick thinking...
your tattle-tail story makes me steam! such a dumb concept.
Okay, I'm not going to comment about the Nancy-Drewishness except to say that I am an oldest child too.
But yay, you! for all your awesomeness on Capitol Hill. You amaze me.
I would have done the same thing. Too bad John Quinones wasn't around-you would have been a hero! Glad your meetings went well and you caught yourself on the stairs.
What kind of crap teacher puts an actual tail of shame on a child for a full day? That is horrible. She'd never get away with it today.
And good for you! That is awful that he would hit and run. He deserves to be caught. Well done, you.
I'm an oldest child...and guilty of being overly concerned about rule following...
Whoah. The tattle tail tale is crazy and hurts to even imagine. No wonder you still remember it. That is a soul-crushing thing to do to anyone--let alone a child. Oh and . . . props to you for your civic dutifulness on multiple fronts.
Annie! I am so proud of you! Way to stick up for the right in our nation's capitol in so many ways. You are inspiring!
You are so awesome!!! That is great and I'm am as proud of you as Mrs. Olson should have been.
This is the same school that required PE students to color in their post-test fitness level on the front of their shirts. Forever after known to the world as losers or some variation of such. Greg still can't believe that happened.
I'm a Nancy Drew as well, I loved Nancy.
I horrified some grade-schoolers this morning by asking them to place the empty bottle they were kicking down the street in a near by trash can instead of stuffing it down a sewage drain. I've turned into the neighborhood crotchety woman.
I don't think I care for the scarlet letter tattle tail.
Good for you. Two big guys in my jr. high foods class drank a little guy's soda and I ratted them out. I didn't let them scare me and I'm glad I did it. It sounds like your life is full of adventure!
LOVE that story...everyone wants a hit-and-runner to get caught. Thanks for giving us all a little thrill tonight! (And, she says needlessly, the writing/theme/execution of this post is FABULOUS.)