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Ruairi Macdonald “I
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JOURNAL ENTRIES
Young_Leader: Ruairi Macdonald Journal_EntryO.K. O.K. I’ll write in my journal. Gish. Right, I want you to know that I HAVE REALLY LANDED ON MY FEET HERE.
My Host Family
My Internship In the morning I help sort mail. This lacks earth-shattering stimulation – though I now know the alphabet better than ever before. I try to avoid answering the phones because Americans tend to have American accents and because I’m convinced that I’ve left some poor guy on ‘hold’ for days nowJ But the above is just part of the deal and I am NOT complaining. I am happy to do the office grunt work because, in striking contrast, I am also encouraged to do stuff that is REALLY stimulating and engaging. For example: On my first day at the office I happened to receive an e-mail from Human Rights Watch. The subject of this e-mail was relevant to an issue that was of concern to the congressman so I left it on the desk of the ‘staffer’ dealing with that issue. As a result he asked me to draft a letter to a top-level public official. (I’ll recount the details in due course) Another example: From another intern I got wind of a letter going around the House. The subject of the letter was one with which I am exceptionally familiar. By the time the letter came through the fax machine I had prepared a small dossier on the subject. Apparently it was useful.
The Mentor Thing
The Group This is not the place for commentary on the aesthetics of the group but click through the others’ journals and judge for your self. (Trina will kick my ass for this comment – pleaseJ.)
Etc. On Sunday 2nd we visited a black neighborhood Baptist Church. Brilliant. Have your seen sister Act? Hmm Humm�Amen Brother. On Monday I went to an open air Winton Marcellus concert. Excellent despite it the rain, thunder and lightening. Tuesday was the Independence Day. In the morning I was a course marshal for a local kids bike parade – true suburbia Americana. We all met in the afternoon and in the evening watched the fireworks above the Monument, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. (There were better than the ones at the Abby Center) Afterwards we danced about in the reflecting pool. Very fun. Every Wednesday we all go to the Young Leaders office for a different presentation on the theme of leadership. This week we had a talk on “Leadership Lessons from the Civil War” given by a big Telecommunications CEO the author of a book by the same name. On Thursday I meet Peter Smyth for lunch and enjoyed talking with him for two hours. Work was slow because the house is out of session until Monday 10th . In the evening the Conference Committee (of which I am the Chair) had a meeting before moving to Nanny O’Brians Pub were the rest of the group where. On Friday work was again slow but again I was taken out to lunch – this time by one of the ‘staffers’ to a Mexican place. In the evening Johnny, Geri, Jim and I went to a dinner party at the house of a woman involved with Project Children and Young leaders. On Saturday night we all tried to go to a club together but the group fragmented. I ended up with Adam in an expensive Latino club – I have NEVER seen such a concentration of beautiful women in my life. Many, however, were with really old, ugly but impeccably dressed men. But regardless that we were in the company of some affluent cartel and regardless that we were surrounded by spectacular scenery, Adam and I spent about three hours arguing about whether there was such a thing as “nationhood”! (I believe there is: he is wrong J.) On Sunday there was a great pool party after which Johnny, Sean and I went to a Columbian-American girl’s 21st birthday. I spent most of Monday 10th on the phone ensuring that I would meet Gerry Adams who was on the Hill the next day. Towards the end of the day I finally got to meet my Congressman, the Honourable Edward Markey (he has previously been in Boson where his father lie’s sick). “Ed.” is very dynamic and very up-front. In different circumstances his first questions to me (re religion and the IRA) would have been rude. However, I found him immediately likable and look forward to learning all I can from him. On Tuesday morning Brona and I met Nial’s Congressman, Pete King who took the three of us to greet Mr Adams upon his arrival at the Capital. After his (easy) meeting with the International Relations Committee and the press call which followed, he made a point of speaking – and getting on well with – the large group of Young Leaders that had attended the meeting. Meeting Gerry Adams has been the highlight of my trip. Another highlight was the subsequent time we spent had with Pete King in his office. At first he led the conversation but in the end it became a heated discussion between us that the Congressman just watched with amusement. Like Mr. Adams, Mr King has amiable casual and ‘down to earth’ style. Yet another highlight was the 45 mins that my Congressman, Mr Markey took to chat to us. He talked about why the Republicans are wrong, vocations to politics and other such stuff. The purpose of this was, I think, so that we understood where he was coming from. A comment that struck a cord with me was, “it is now my job to have the same conversations about minorities, government etc. in Congress that I having I was in college.” [Paraphrased] The most striking thing about talking to the above three successful politicians is how down-to-earth they appear. This was achieved by relaxed humor, the donation of time, and/or the question, “what do you think about x?” Later that day my ‘mentor’, Dr. Peter Smyth (Northern Ireland Bureau) phoned and asked me to gather together a few ‘Irish-issuly-inclined’ House staff for lunch on Thursday. A great day. On Wed 12th we where exposed to “the other side” of D.C. and it was sobering. Washington it seems is the last colony of the US. On Thursday 13th we had a private tour of the US Secret Service HQ after which some of the people that have been to Belfast with the President (including the Assistant Director) spoke with us. If you know anything about the things we learned�you’re already dead. This weekend I was really needed a break from everything and everyone. Instead we had a listening day. I was not really there and so I suppose was listening to myself. One exercise involved taking a small pebble from a basket while everybody stated your qualities. Most of mine – such as ambition and networking – Hitler probably had. We got to keep the pebbles. By coincidence, many host families have complained that their washing machines have been broken by small stones left in people’s pockets. On the way to a barbecue at Brona and Jenny’s house on Saturday night, Johnny Kevin and I helped some the police apprehend a small gang of criminals in a Metro station. We provided a distraction by running the UP a DOWN escalator, away from a man waving a gun around. (This man though was a plain clothes police officer.) I have no further comments here. On Wednesday 20th we enjoyed a great talk on leadership in the Cinema given by former US Senator from Maryland. Most of the discussion after the presentation was about women in politics (she is one). YES! I am finally up to date on this journal thing. I’ll try to keep it that way, Nana. P.S. An American girl has actually complemented me on my ability to speak English. In response I told her that I can now count really high.
Young_Leader: Ruairi Macdonald Journal_EntryRuairi, welcome to Young Leaders 2000 from the Webmaster. We all look forward
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