April 11, 2012
Nichole,
I met a guy named Chevy today.
“Chevy” like the comedian. His hours were changed to include the MWF morning shift. We like a lot of the same things: Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, cute men. We are dissimilar in some ways: He takes time to perfect his hair and outfit every morning, and has stylish glasses. I accidentally bought stylish boots a couple of weeks ago because they were fifteen dollars. After my shift ends, after I’ve left Chevy at the counter to share funny anecdotes with Melissa, my relief, I impulsively review the previous two and one-half hours. I give them four stars out of five.
I take to the pavement in the hour I have between work and Constitutional Law. My feet ache a little, tense, then give in to the curve of the Dr. Scholl’s inserts. I do that thing where I play the invisible keyboard I wear around my neck. The silent notes remind me it’s time to seek Sara and the fax machine. Portland State University wants yet another transcript, and I want to be in the opposite of Oklahoma City this summer, so I oblige.
In Con Law, I say to Professor Adkison something like, “West Virginia BOE v. Barnette was a First Amendment case in which a Jehovah’s Witness family sued West Virginia’s BOE for requiring their children to salute and pledge allegiance to the flag. Since Jehovah’s Witnesses apply a strict interpretation of Exodus Chapter 20, Verses 4 and 5 to their beliefs, they felt this compulsory policy prevented their children from freely exercising their religion. Even though they rebuffed the law as a violation of the Free Exercise Clause, the Supreme Court held it was a Free Speech case and decided in favor of the Barnettes. Justice Jackson: ‘No official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion or matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein…’”
Afterwards, I think, “Chevy would really like Doctor Who if he ever started watching.”
Scout’s Honor,
Me
