SOCIAL CHANGE MEETING
February 1, 2008
PRESENT: Dorothy of Kansas [Wizard of Oz], Dr. Manette [Tale of Two Cities], Prince Andrei [War and Peace], St. Christopher, Old Dog Tray, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, GI Joe, Scrooge, Marilyn Munster, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Wonder Woman, Wendy Darling, Rosie the Riveter
ABSENT: Bill the Cat and Tiger Lily
The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. at the EAP World Headquarters Little Conference Room by chairwoman Wendy Darling, who was kind of under the weather, so asked that we all just go ahead without her. Marilyn Munster chaired the meeting.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Marilyn was really excited about our trip to the presidential inauguration. We all shared our experiences. Scrooge really enjoyed the special look that his pals at the Internal Revenue Service gave him at Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's old tax returns. Dorothy of Kansas was thrilled with her trip to the Smithsonian. Dr. Manette enjoyed looking at the collection of Impressionists in the National Gallery ("It's exactly what those places look like when I'm not wearing my spectacles! Sheer genius!" he exclaimed.) Prince Andrei and GI Joe were very moved by their visit to the Veteran's Hospital, where, because they are fictional characters, they were allowed in the rooms where the public can't go. They visited a lot of new amputees, and GI Joe was amazed at the new technology that replaces limbs that get blown off in war these days. Old Dog Tray went for a tour of the city's shelters, where the animals were all celebrating the new First Family. Every dog, he says, was hoping it would be the one to move into the White House.
We were all most curious to hear about Chairman Wendy's experiences. Through Rosie the Riveter, she had actually been invited to the White House on the night of the Inauguration! It seems that PETER PAN is one of Malia and Sasha's favorite books, and Wendy was asked if she would appear right as the two First Children were being put to bed.
We hesitated to press Wendy, as she was a little depressed. But she said, "The little girls got to stay up late because it was a special occasion, of course. And then they had a scavenger hunt through the White House, that ended with their going into a room holding their favorite rock stars. Somebody called the Jonas Brothers. Then they got put to bed, and I read them a story, and they went to sleep. That's the end of it."
Bugs Bunny remarked that Wendy didn't seem too happy about any of this. Wendy looked kind of angry, which confused all of us, and then she said, "I wouldn't have gone if I'd known it was going to be like that. I mean, I'm glad he won and everything, but if I'd known it was going to be another upper middle class aspirant family claiming privileges for itself that no one else gets…well, it's not their fault. It's the way the whole system works. But I was really depressed that I was so vain, and pleased I was invited to the Big Event of the Year, that I played along. And I shouldn't have."
Elmer Fudd said, "So what did you want them to do, Wendy? Go to an orphanage or something?"
Wendy just looked more depressed at that and didn't say anything. She suggested that we adjourn the meeting, which we did, having sherry and biscuits after. But when we turned around to give Wendy her usual glass of sherry, she was gone. Marilyn ran after her, but we don't know what happened then.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be 6 pm, 1 March 2009, in the Little Conference Room. Meeting was adjourned 6:20.
Respectfully submitted,
Dorothy of Kansas
(Editor's note: to read about Wendy cheering up, see this month's ASK WENDY…)