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The Adventures of Steve

Episode 22: Drive

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

I woke up early this morning, determined to get something done. Over the past month, I've been feeling this growing drive to get moving again, to get passionate about something again.

It's been one month since I started my job; and while I am entirely satisfied with how I'm handling living alone in the sticks, the slow arrival of spring is stirring my passions up pretty good. I've really settled in to my corner of Columbus; I know it's only been a little over a month, but it does seem like a whole lifetime now.

My focus for the past month has been me. The full-time job helps in some ways: I get up before 7:00 a.m. every day and I pay attention to my appearance. I'm determined to get back into shape and so I'm out running every evening and I've eliminated my food temptations. Most importantly, I stay on top of feelings of loneliness and just keep enjoying my simple life.

I went to the movies on Saturday night, a seven-mile walk, and really had a great time. I'm amazed at the power of cinema. The film I saw awakened thick emotions regarding love and family. It's been haunting me in the best possible way: I have drive again.

My research into my next future began last night with the arrival of my cable modem (and I'm never going back!). The high-speed Internet connection will help me speed things up a little. In this town, getting around without a car is feasible, just slow. Working full-time, however, almost paralyzes me unless I plan things out carefully. For example, I need to get my Ohio driving license, which means that I have to show up at one particular office ten miles away between the hours of 8 and 10 a.m. on Saturday. That's the only window I have. But I'm getting pretty good at working with it.

One option I'm looking very hard at is connecting with the group called 21st Century Democrats (www.21stcenturydems.org) who are looking for field operatives for the various congressional races they support. The work is exactly the type of thing I should be doing: leading grassroots movements in races that matter.

While I'll probably try for it, there are a few drawbacks: I'd have to get a car, I might have to leave Ohio, and I probably wouldn't be working against Bush directly. Which means I'd have to change my plan, and I'd have to let myself off the hook for "doing everything I can" for Bush's re-defeat.

But at present, I have no network, no organization. While I am even more certain that I'm precisely at the right spot for the presidential campaign, I need to be effective, period. So I have some more choices to make.

I just sent out some inquiries to both the 21st Century Democrats and the Kerry campaign here in Ohio. I am going to research as many options as I can in the next few days and start getting some fresh resumes together. I can use letters of recommendation, both personal and professional. If you can help me out with this, please use my reference letter form at steveransom.com and type one up. (And if you have helped already, thank you!)

As I watch the eastern sky slowly light up, I can feel whatever it is getting a little closer. There's a quiet growing fire inside me. My destiny is almost upon me.

 

All of the Adventures of Steve

   Episode 1: In which Steve leaves Eugene and arrives in Rancho Cordova.
   Episode 2: In which Steve visits the Jelly Belly factory and gets a haircut.
   Episode 3: In which Steve gets a cold, a big box, and a seat on a train.
   Episode 4: In which Steve receives shiny new toys and loyal old friends.
   Episode 5: In which Steve departs for Iowa and rants a bit about why.
   Episode 6: In which Steve takes a trip to Des Moines.
   Episode 7: In which Steve gets really involved.
   Episode 8: In which Steve starts hobnobbing but is haunted by Arne Baker.
   Episode 9: In which Steve becomes a groupie and is informed that we all have love in our hearts.
   Episode 10: In which Steve becomes a media whore.
   Episode 11: In which Steve takes on Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine and Michigan.
   Episode 12: In which Steve is pitted against Fort Dodge, Iowa and seven vans of unruly Texans.
   Episode 13: In which Steve learns that all his hard work wasn't enough to put the candidate back together again.
   Episode 14: In which Steve does nothing.
   Episode 15: In which Steve reaches a decision and attempts to get virtually hired.
   Episode 16: In which we thank the good doctor for all he did.
   Episode 17: In which Steve suits up for a new life in the Cap City!
   Episode 18: In which Steve starts to realize he’s not in Eugene anymore.
   Episode 19: In which Steve switches from job seeking to home seeking.
   Episode 20: In which Steve starts to learn some things via the error side of trial and error.
   Episode 21: In which Steve experiences his first blizzard.
   Episode 22: In which Steve contemplates his next move.
   Episode 23: In which Steve prepares to switch gears... again.
   Episode 24: In which Steve spends a week in a hotel with four thousand teenagers and then gives his 30-day notice.
   Episode 25: In which Steve reminisces about his 10 weeks in Columbus while waiting in the wings.
   Episode 26: In which the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
   Episode 27: In which Steve changes everything.
   Episode 28: In which Steve finds Brood X, gets a teeny crush on a fellow trainee and learns where he's going, approximately.
   Episode 29: In which Steve starts to see how politics really works.
   Episode 30: In which Steve writes a letter to Kelly, executive director of the group that fired me.
   Episode 31: In which Steve spends a tentative week commuting to work in Maine.
   Episode 32: In which Steve learns he's just one piece on the board.
   Episode 33: In which Steve settles in for three months of intense campaigning.
   Episode 34: In which Steve is deep into the final countdown.
   Episode 35: In which Maine wins, the nation loses and Steve heads home.
   Episode 36: In which Steve doesn’t do much more than comb the classifieds and update his Web site.
   Episode 37: In which Steve slips into a normal life.

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