Rejection Sucks. Or Does It?
“Nature abhors a vacuum”
–Hunter S. Thompson
I actually arrived early to one of my classes today, to continue with a book I’m reading by Ross Posnock called “Philip Roth’s Rude Truth.” Others in the lecture room were reading the newspapers, and/or listening to iPods. The mood around campus is still serene and fairly hopeful that the Democratic Party won’t implode and ruin our chances for a fabulous overhaul of policy under Nancy Pelosi’s leadership. One handsome guy was reading an article in the The New Republic on the House-Speaker-elect’s first-100-hours pledge. Five minutes before class started, as people were starting to settle in, a girl named Letizia, whom I’ve become friends with, walked in with her head down, practically in tears and slumped into the seat next to me and sunk her face into her hands.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Oh God! Why, whywhy, did I do it?” she moaned, in a muffled voice.
“Do what?”
“Jesus, Anita, I’ve never done anything like it, and now I know why!! Uhhg! I feel like crawling under the carpet.”
“Oh no — did you sign up for that 18 hour bible studies session?” I cringed.
“No… You know that beautiful guy I have a crush on, from con law class? Well, for some crazy reason I mustered the courage to call him and ask if he’d go out to dinner with me, to a restaurant that I know he likes! And he said…… oh god! I can’t bear it! He said… NO.”
Then she put her head between her knees and stared at the floor making sounds that were either a laugh or a cry.
Hmmm, I thought, I guess this is when I’m supposed to say something.
“It’s his loss, honey. There are many fish in the ocean.” I said stupidly.
She just stared at the floor for a long time, as if the answer was hidden somewhere under that carpet. By now, the class had filled up, and yep, everyone was staring at us.
Since I’m a mature student, and wife of a very wise man, I felt like I should come up with some good advice. “What would Hunter do?? Oh God! Forget that." I thought, remembering all the threating letters he’d sent to people and publishers who rejected him like “I’ll fly to New York and tear your lungs out with a spoon" sort of thing..
Just before the professor came in, I was looking up to think of something grand to say…when… Mr. New Republic stood up with his wavy dark hair, folded the magazine into his back pocket, looking at Letizia from across the room and started to say something, when, another guy from the lacrosse team, pulled his iPod earphones out and said “I love good food and good wine and… but was interrupted by a third guy who also wanted to take our heartbroken friend out, when the professor finally cleared her throat to begin the lecture.
It was a good lecture, about Campaign Finance Reform focusing on the 1925 Federal Corruption Practices Act and how it lacked any enforcement procedures, and the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) which ended up forming the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to moderate and enforce tougher standards, etc. But, then we learned about how in 1976, the Supreme Court blunted these reforms in Buckley v. Valeo. We went on to learn that despite the McCain-Feingold bill, the total price of the 2004 presidential and congressional elections was $4 billion, up from nearly $3 billion in 2000….because majority of citizens simply can’t get emotionally involved in something as boring as Campaign Finance that has allowed every election to be privately funded and controlled by big money interests. It sucks.
After class, as we all gathered our things, our rejected sister, still in tears, bolted out the door and down the hall. But, along with her empty, aching heart, came something interesting… The three handsome princes, went bolting after her!!
Yes, nature does abhor a vacuum indeed.
Until next time, your friend,
Anita Thompson
