"I'm just... I'm not sure that I'm comfortable doing all this -- going into church like this,"I say to Lana. We're sitting in the basement of the campaign headquarters. No one else is in the room -- just me and her.

It was actually the first conversation we had since my initial interview maybe three months earlier in April, 2012. Since that interview, I left law school, moved to Hawaii, lived back at home with my mom for a few weeks, and then packed all of my belongings and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia to start my job as a community organizer.

During that initial interview, Lana warned me that the job would not be too glamorous. "It'll be a lot of grunt work, Jonatha. It's nothing like the Westwring -- you won't be rubbing elbows with the most influential folks in the world. It'll be a lot of long hours, a lot of thankless tasks, and a lot of frustrations. Are you okay with that?"

Although I didn't go quite as far as Stone Cold Steve Austin by giving her a 'HELL YEAH,' I still enthusiastically told her I was down for the cause. "I'm not in this for any sort of glory. I'm joining because I believe he's the best candidate, you know? I'm passionate about this -- and I could care less what kind of glamor is associated with this gig."


Not even a month into my gig as an organizer, Lana sent me an e-mail with the subject titlted: "Time to go to church!" In the email were indepth instructions about how to talk to African Americans in their native habitat: church. The letter suggested ways to get them more involved and basically stressed the notion that there was a nexus between the candidate of choice's religious affiliation and his job as leader of the free world.

A nexus I refused to advocate for.

"Given his foreign policy choices -- with the drones killing innocent people, and with his stance on certain domestic policies.. I'm not comfortable advocating for him in my place of worship. I don't want to taint my place of worship, you know?"

"Well," Lana began. "If you're uncomfortable doing that, then I'm uncomfortable with you having this job. Take a few days to reconsider and get back to me."


So I did. I talked to my mom about it.. she told me I was being stupid and not to expect any support if I quit my job. Afterall, kids dying as casualties of war were just that -- casualties of war. Collateral damage. She did not engage in my point that whatever you label the deaths, God should not be used as a justification.


I talked to Caitlin about it. She told me I was being stupid and stubborn and immature. "Grown ups compromise everything all the time -- their faith included. I don't see this as such a big deal." Oh, and after that she told me that she no longer had an yinterest in being with me romantically after having convinced me to move to Virginia in the first place through a three month campaign of calling me literally three times a day and saying the following words: "My state needs you. I need you." Then, when I arrived, a week after sitting in her car with her head in my lap and confessing that she's been in love with me since she was a little girl, she tells me that she was just confused.. and that I was being stupid for not wanting to compromise my faith.

My sisters agreed with me though. They supported my decision to leave the gig. As di d a number of my pals -- Rob, who I'll write about soon. Zanzipal, who I'll wife up soon.




As it turned out, I left the campaign, lived on friend's couches and on megabuses for a while, and Lana was demoted and placed in a less desirable location. They offered me my old gig back but I declined at first, only to later on accept it.. but in a new location sadly.

This clarifies all of the last few posts so much.
» randomjunk on 2013-02-01 08:33:00

It sucks when you have to make a decision like that, especially when you get mixed reviews from friends and family. Hopefully things start looking up for you soon.
» LostSoul13 on 2013-02-02 01:00:48

There's no good way to reflect being breathlessness from laughter when you're typing. " In the email were indepth instructions about how to talk to African Americans in their native habitat: church. "

I fell over. Hard.

Also, good on you for standing up for that. It's one thing to support someone, it's another to flat out act like they walk on water because they are in the same color family.
» ikimashokie on 2013-02-02 08:48:25

Work just isn't worth compromising yourself for. You aren't running away, you're standing up for yourself at an age when everyone else would just love to push you down and walk all over you just because they are more experienced!

Re: I believe Chinese New Year is just like Christmas over there except that people aren't buying things for other people, they are buying things for themselves. Mainly clothes because we are supposed to wear new clothes for up to all 15 days of the new year celebration if you can afford it. This would usually be accompanied with new sheets, curtains, cushion covers, anything made of fabric.

Re: Don't be that jealous of me, if I do too much of Lazy Saturdays, I get lonely and bored out of my mind.

The last time I had someone staying over, things ended badly. Not with that someone but with my family. On another note, she could have just turned you onto your sides when you start to snore, that is what I do to my mum whenever she starts snoring next to me.
» Nuttz on 2013-02-02 10:35:29

Sure there's cheap good Mexican places, but I don't go to them very often because it's more likely they'll speak Spanish and not understand when I ask if there's lard in the refried beans. :P
» randomjunk on 2013-02-02 10:57:24

Nah, it wouldn't be like that. It would be more like that one time that you moved to Hawaii and then stayed with some whack-ass crazy fool who locked you out of the house. Just kidding. I would totally let you into the house. Then I would put a ravenous cat outside your door and bitter cold raining weather outside your window, because that's how I do.
» Zanzibar on 2013-02-02 01:28:20

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