Hello and welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy reading this post.
First of all, if the moniker carolynbennettwritercomic.blogspot.com is a little on the nose, it's because I have to distinguish myself from that other Carolyn Bennett, the MP and doctor. While she may be more famous and accomplished, I get fewer angry constituents phoning me.
And I also get the odd royalty check in the mail. Last week I received one for $4.97. I went to town and bought some green peppers.
Riding the subway in Toronto opens wide the doors of perception. Case in point - I was reading the jaunty little rag Metro the other day while in transit and spotted a call for election officials. My riding is holding a by-election and I thought, why not call, for two reasons. 1) Any work would be in my neighbourhood and 2) it would get me away from starting on my second novel.
On a whim I phoned the Riding Office. Over the phone and in two minutes I was hired as a DRO. What's a DRO? A DRO is a Deputy Riding Official. I was told to show up at the riding office the next day for training. I already regretted phoning in.
If democracy really is in the hands of the people, god help us. After a whirlwind two hour crash course in the electoral process, I left baffled. That was it? Watching a video and reading two hand-outs? At least they gave me a manual to refer to on the day. I was being entrusted with the free vote. A DRO has the final say at any polling station. I can't even find the pen I was just using, never mind overseeing an urban voting station. No police check, no resume required - just a pulse and a flicker of cognition. Shockingly egalitarian. I must admit, I got a thrill when I had to take the oath. Too bad more jobs didn't require you to take an oath. I just hope I wake up in time to open the polling station.
What does one wear when representing freedom? I'm thinking jeans and a blazer.
I'll let you know what happens. The vote is September 15. I will end this entry right now because I have the distinct feeling I'm writing for nobody.
6 comments:
I hear Carolyn Bennett started out as a DRO.
Nice post, I will spread the word.
Hi Carolyn - Thank you for inviting me to read your blog. Please keep it up - we can all use a chuckle now and then. However, I trust the oath you took was not "any profane expression; curse; swearword" as per the dictionary, although perhaps it would have been more interesting!
Yah, I post a blog entry every so often on MySpace, and I always feel like a complete idiot talking to myself.
It's oddly disconcerting to know you can just phone up and co-opt the whole damn electoral process...
Jean, Duc De L'Argent
Welcome to blogland, non-MP/doctor pal o' mine!
Sarah
Hi,
I am an actor/writer living in the Parkdale area and my name is Adrian. Speaking of the election... I read about the NDP candidate's (Di Novo) past, with her smuggling LSD and all? Well, I went to her riding office and tried to score some purple micro-dot and they threw me out! Talk about hypocrisy. I'm going to vote Liberal. You always know you can at least get some weed there. (It's crap weed though since Kennedy left.)
So YOU'RE the reason the Liberals lost High Park. I hope you can rest easy.
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