I have a confession. Some of you know that I play percussion at my alma mater, South High School, in the South High Community Band. What you may not realize is that I am the, ahem, President, of the South High Community Band.
You can call me POTSHCB. It’s much easier for me to pronounce this when I channel the energy of my Russian ancestors from the Ukraine.
I wouldn’t call it a democracy. I was appointed President with pretty much no opportunity to turn down the appointment. Each year I offer up the presidency to all the other Board members. Each year they all smile and say, pretty much, no thanks. And I go back to the delightful task of making music with a bunch of lovely people while trying to raise enough cash to keep the group in the black.
We meet at 7 pm Tuesday nights in the band room at South High. That’s 3131 19th Ave S, Mpls, MN, for those of you who are Band-curious.
Over the years, we’ve learned that STUFF happens on Tuesday nights. Other stuff. Non-musical stuff. In particular WEATHER happens on Tuesday nights. Snowstorms and windstorms and thunderstorms. We once performed at the Como Pavillion when it was 104 degrees. (Fahrenheit. We were only metaphorically boiling.)
The other STUFF that happens on Tuesdays is political stuff. (When I started blogging a couple years back, many people warned me to steer clear of two topics: religion and politics. Oops.) At least once a year (okay, maybe only once a year) a clarinet or a trombone or a saxophone would sidle up and remind me (fine, inform me) that caucuses would be held the following Tuesday and count them out of rehearsal. They were all Democrats.
To me, caucuses were Junk-That-Interferes-With-Band. I inwardly rolled my eyes the tiniest bit. I mean, come on. How important could they be? Isn’t voting in the general election enough to fulfill my civic duty?
Mapquest convinced me to get a little more involved.
“Where are you starting?” St. Paul, MN
“Where are you going?” Canada
Mapquest goes into a tailspin. No, not Canada, NC, or Canada, KS. Just plain Canada. That big old country to the North with the cutey PM with the pinchable cheeks? You know? Mapquest, don’t fail me now. What if, hypothetically speaking, something unimaginable, horrendous, unbelievable, improbable, and terrifying happens in November? And I and the other reasonable, rational Americans (who seem to be inadequately represented on social media) feel compelled to flee? Oh Mapquest, your “I’m thinking” circle is still spinning! Ack!
Mapquest forced me to be more proactive. Instead of waiting around for the reasonable, rational Americans (WHO I KNOW STILL EXIST SOMEWHERE) to do reasonable, rational things on my behalf, I decided to go out and do some reasonable, rational things on my own behalf.
Like attending caucus tomorrow night. A Tuesday. So I cancelled band. One must occasionally take drastic measures when one is POTSHCB. I’m not entirely sure what happens at a caucus, but I can’t wait to find out. And neither should you. Here is a helpful tutorial if you’re a Minnesotan. Green Party info here. Libertarians here. Independents here.
If you’re not a Minnesotan, you might consider a move, eh? The rumor on the street, unconfirmed as of yet, is that we’re real close to Canada. Yep.
Decision made. I’m voting for you, Anne……..
(laughing) Thanks!