This Marta Moment is about me. I almost puked today on my way to school:
I sat down beside a woman who asked to borrow a pen. I gave her my pen that I was given free at a hotel a few weeks ago. It was one of those cheap pens anyone can find anywhere. I'm sure you know the kind people give away for free at fairs and conferences for advertising purposes. Anyway, after she was done with it she returned it to me and started up a conversation.
Woman: So, where do you attend school?
Me: Georgia Tech.
Woman: What are you studying?
Me: Aerospace Engineering.
Woman: Oh! That's great. And what are you planning to do with it?
Me: Perhaps teach or...
Woman: I've taught! Don't do it. You just don't get paid enough. It's okay for a side job but you have to do something else.
Me: You've taught? Well, what do you do now?
Woman: I work for the federal government in public policy.
Me: Interesting. What area?
Woman: I write policy for Social Security.
(I start to feel queasy...)
Me: Wow. From a variety of sources (in fact, Lindy and I received a SS statement just last week talking about this), I always hear that it won't be around much longer as...
Woman: That's a misnomer.... (She really used that word.)
Me: Oh?
Woman: (In a tone explaining something to a child) It's like an account that people deposit money into and then can withdrawal from later.
(You don't say.)
Woman: Even people who don't contribute can withdrawal also. Think about those people who bring their grandmother over from another country. Those people can withdrawal from a different account called an SSI account. People who can never contribute will still be able to get money from the government. For example, one family that has all kids with ADD and will never be able to contribute but they will be able to access that money in that other account. It's so sad, but at least they have money.
(Don't go there, John... don't go there...)
Me: I see, but won't there be a time when there are more withdrawals than deposits?
Woman: Yes. The young people are not contributing as much now. And they aren't making as much.
Me: So, eventually, if there are more older people withdrawing and fewer young people contributing, won't it be depleted and there will be no more?
Woman: Never. The government will shore it up.
(Please hold it back my little epiglottis!...)
Me: And how will they do that?
Woman: They'll find a way.
Me: Like raise taxes?
Woman: Perhaps, but they'll find a way. The government is the best employer. You should perhaps work for them after you are done school. They have great hours and they have started to really pay well - about the same as private industry. Also, when we travel we get a great budget. In fact, we get $100 dollars a day for food! Can you image? Who eats 100 dollars of food in a day! We can go up to an ATM with our government credit card and withdraw 100 dollars a day and we don't even have to account for it.
(Let me out! Let me out!)
Woman: Everybody should be trying to get a job with the government. I can work from home but I like to go down to the office. They pay for our transportation. Our office is so nice, it has really nice furniture and we would never use a pen like yours. They have much nicer pens.
(Stop the train! I'm sick. I'm SICK! I have to get off!)
Woman: We are actually over-staffed, but funding is based on how large are department is, so we always have money. The government will always be around. That's why they are the best to work for.
Me: Over-staffed? So there is more than enough people there. It sounds like big government. I think our government is too big and seems to be getting bigger.
Woman: Our government can never be too big.
(Bile! I'm tasting bile!)
...
...
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Okay. I'm starting to feel sick again while writing this so I'm not going to finish the conversation, but yes, we did cover the Stimulus package, the current president, and her son trying to make it big in California as an actor, but you get the idea of what I was being exposed to. The worst was her tirade on people going for PhDs, choosing that over networking with government officials. I don't think I could write that part of the conversation and not sin and so I will defer. (She never did ask what degree I'm pursuing.)
Anyway, I've never had a longer commute to school. Never has there been a slower train...
In all fairness, she didn't know that I served a mission in Russian and was thus shaped ideologically by what I saw there, more than from any classroom on this continent, but my stomach was churning, and so..... I better run to the bathroom. I don't want my cheap pen to get dirty...
