There were elections of some kind around my neighborhood.
Oh. First, I was with a boy from another culture, and we had to keep any relationship secret from the rest of his people, and so he'd try to sneak off with me, always very close to me physically as we walked, and I'd keep my distance from him, like a game almost, in the outdoors in the snow at night near my home, in the parking lot. It was snow that was a few days old, had been driven on, melted, refrozen, etc. so you had patches of dry road, patches of ice, patches of stiff snow. I'd run around, the feel of running was wonderful. Good thing too. A nosy neighbor and his mom both followed us outside. She liked that I was trustworthy and wasn't off cuddling with him or something. For some reason that got his mom reading a book about Christianity. A book I never read, and felt somewhat apprehensive about regarding it's quality... it looked pretty bad actually. But she wanted to read it.
Anyway, then this neighborhood elected new officials (for our country). We had someone who would be president. There was one point at which I realized that it was irrational to think an official elected by one neighborhood would be president of the country, so then it temporarily changed to him being our district's nominee for our party... still a little weird. Anyway, he soon went back to being the president-elect.
Anyway, at one of the meetings, he kneeled down to pray and be prayed over by the neighborhood. Obama showed up and came over and stopped them/us, and wouldn't let us pray. I started quoting George Washington's Farewell Address to him and everyone around in a loud voice, the bits about how if someone is not a Christian and tries to divorce religion from government, he is not a patriot.
"Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
I mean, I don't have it memorized. But it was a dream, so in dream world I had it dream memorized.
Obama actually threw something at me to stop me from talking. I told him I can accept other religions as patriots, but someone who will not even give people the freedom to pray in public if they want to is no citizen. He was pissed. Especially since what was he supposed to do? Badmouth Washington?? It was a quote. Not just my own opinion. Yep. He was one pissed off fellow.
But then, after he left, I got a phone call from him. It was a flattering call, and he asked me to be the chief of his fire department. It was like bodyguards, but to prevent fires that might occur around him. It was a very real honor. Ah, dreams. Gotta love 'em. My sister Lee was thrilled! She said, "Oh, he admires you after all." I knew better. He hated me, and wanted me on his side, because I and my words were a threat he didn't want to have to fight. He wanted me to join him, instead of having to fight against me. I wasn't thrilled and had absolutely no intention of joining him. I kept telling my sister Lee that I would find a quote for her from the book Unwind by Neil Schusterman, about a guy who was playing politics, and how I had to be smarter than to fall for this trick. I'll find the quote when I find that book... In the dream I never could find the correct page in order to read the quote. It's where Risa is trying to explain to Connor just how dangerous Roland is, and pointing out the politics he is subtly weaving around all of them. I was showing my sister, to prove to her that I was in danger, and not that Obama liked me.
I was then asked to be an aide to the president-elect, who was also black coincidentally, and would take over the presidency in June/July. That's when that happens, you know. Of course I was thrilled to accept that offer. I realized with sadness though that that meant I only had until June/July before I'd be leaving my life and my job that I love and moving to Washington DC (which I also loved when I visited in real life... there is something about that city that is just.... absolutely insane. Quiet classic architecture and gardens that fill you with peace, with a bustling crime-filled helicopter-filled noisiness that just makes you want to pull your teeth out... it intrigued me) or sometimes another country, depending on where the need was for me to be. And I knew I needed to avoid Obama until then, for my own safety. I also seemed, in the dream, to know several celebrities, and occasionally eat lunch with them. I didn't much care about it. I also didn't have my hair like all the young female aides, and they wouldn't give me a second glance. I didn't fit in when it came to fashion. I also didn't care about that much. I figured to fit into the culture I might as well get a haircut in a few months, but who cared for now?
Anyway, our neighborhood guy was president-elect.
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