Hey Blogger has us back up and running. Hooray! I can ignore my kids and all the work I should be doing to blog. Yes!!!
I wrote a piece at the Register last night about a night a few years ago that kinda changed my life. I’d appreciate it if you’d go check it out. It starts:
A number of years ago I was told to meet two “money guys” at an expensive social club in Philadelphia. I was earning money in politics at that point. I’d started off just writing press releases and speeches but I got in pretty deep pretty fast and I’ll admit I liked it. High stakes at high speeds can be addictive. I can’t remember how long ago this particular night was but I know I was still drinking so it was at least six years ago.
I knew my job. It wasn’t to walk out of the meeting with money but it was to make sure that the guy who called or met them the next day would. I would laugh at their jokes but not too loudly. I would drink but not enough to lose control. I would tell stories because if there’s one thing people love it’s a little inside dirt. It makes them feel part of it all. And when the moment was right I’d tell them how grateful we’d be for some help. Half the job was picking the right moment. So I drank and laughed and waited.
While eating dinner the two money guys, who’d been strangers before that night, learned of an acquaintance they had in common. They both knew the same girl. From their description she sounded young, beautiful and kind. They described her with a kind of awe. One said he’d been “chasing” her for weeks and added, “I finally took her down last week.” Then they high-fived. Two men in suits high-fived and then they laughed the kind of laugh that made me want to run for an emergency exit.
Please Continue reading at the National Catholic Register>>>
May 14, 2011 at 1:20 am
Got to LOVE Obama. If he's making morons like u crazy. He's got to be doing something right. And the best part about it, is after you're long gone, Obama will still be around ruling the world, let alone the U.S. CHANGING the WORLD $ EVER!!!
Obama is about the educated, invocation, the thinking class and change!
Obama please irk the stupid, uneducated, alcoholic, religion class more!!!!!!!!
Go down a bottle of vodka you idiot!! You weak loser excuse for a human being!!
May 14, 2011 at 1:47 am
Get angry much, adrienne?
In all seriousness, thank you very much Matthew for your openness to sharing this part of your life. It seems that so often we human beings forget our true purpose in life and fall prey to temptation to go the easy route. I am glad you got away from that situation you were in. We can only pray that God gives us strength so that we can rise to new heights.
God bless you Matthew.
-Chris
May 14, 2011 at 1:48 am
Obama is not worthy to empty the bedpans of W.
Matthew Archibold is a creative, humorous and astute political and cultural commentator. He also has moral principles and can teach Obama the basics of being a human being.
May 14, 2011 at 2:05 am
Great story. I'm so grateful that you saw not only the evil in these men viewing women as prey (it's estimated that 25% of American women will be the victim of sexual assault at some point in their lives), but also made the connection between that "hunt" and the game you were playing. Kudos.
May 16, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Did you mention Obama in your article above, Matthew? Weird. I didn't see it either. But your piece DID remind me of the Screwtape Letters! Where the devil is trying to get his man to live in two worlds: the urban, mocking world, where he laughs at all the right jokes; and the simple world that his mother and the other church goers lived in. And he wsa the complex Rennaissance man who had the hand over them all! But he was often put in the position where: "he would be silent when he ought to speak; and laugh when he ought to be silent." Glad you had a wake up call moment, Matthew. Now you can stand firmly in one camp and know that the other camp will either hate you or follow you!