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RIP Ted Kennedy
And the year of death marches on, claiming yet another in its wake. Sigh. I've never felt either the vitriol nor the enthusiasm for the Kennedys that most seem to have, but he did accomplish a lot in the Senate over the years and we should thank him for that.
In 1986, as a junior in high school, we were all required to perform volunteer service in a civic arena for one of our classes. I chose to be a campaign worker for Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who was running for Congress in my district. She lost, but held a party for her volunteers anyway. Ted Kennedy showed up at the party and shook hands/signed autographs/took photos with everyone who wanted something. This was my pre-autograph period, so I settled for shaking his hand.
When I got home and told my parents I met Ted Kennedy and shook his hand...they were mortified. More specifically, my mother was disgusted and said I needed to be fumigated. My father refused to speak to or acknowledge me for a week. (Although, being as I was 16, that was a benefit for me.) I never understood how they could hate a stranger so much. I thought it was cool for a US Senator to show up in Baltimore and hang out with a bunch of teens & young adults.
In 1986, as a junior in high school, we were all required to perform volunteer service in a civic arena for one of our classes. I chose to be a campaign worker for Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who was running for Congress in my district. She lost, but held a party for her volunteers anyway. Ted Kennedy showed up at the party and shook hands/signed autographs/took photos with everyone who wanted something. This was my pre-autograph period, so I settled for shaking his hand.
When I got home and told my parents I met Ted Kennedy and shook his hand...they were mortified. More specifically, my mother was disgusted and said I needed to be fumigated. My father refused to speak to or acknowledge me for a week. (Although, being as I was 16, that was a benefit for me.) I never understood how they could hate a stranger so much. I thought it was cool for a US Senator to show up in Baltimore and hang out with a bunch of teens & young adults.