Stub 3.2: Advice from a mother figure

The third day of the three day legislative session was dedicated to handing out “home work assignments.”

Nobody had any objections to dedicating the next legislative session to setting up the apparatus and goals for determining “money supply.”

Nuffin was nursing a hang-over and only took a few notes. She knew she was going to hand off the heavy-lifting to her new friends.

Nobody objected to terminating the third day early.

Unable to go back to the job-site, Raymond took in another AA meeting and was able to connect with Grace, the Dean of Social Sciences at the local junior college. At coffee afterward he told her about his need to call in experts to counterpoint Nuffin’s parade of notables.

Grace demurred. She said she would look into the matter but was doubtful about coming up with prestigious experts in the intervening five days.

Then she looked him in the eye and said, “People don’t trust experts. I think you can do a better job refuting the core of their arguments because you can speak of experiences that ‘real’ people can relate to.”

Grace said, “I don’t have any problem auditing the session via live streaming and I can coach you via a BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid). Two sets of ears are better than one and it is hard to concentrate when the bullets are whistling overhead.”

Then, under the kind eyes of a sympathetic, older woman, Raymond found himself talking about his recent feelings of being adrift.

Grace said, “Yep, that is pretty common.”

“Certain personalities are more vulnerable to substance abuse than other personalities. You and I both have the petal-to-the-metal personality. When we commit we are all-in.” Grace continued. “It is just the way we are wired.”

“Personally,” Grace said, “I am blessed by my husband. He is my counter-weight and he compliments me. Where I am single-minded and intense he is scanning and multitasking.  When I think the world is ending Harry has a Plan B and a Plan C or just rolls with it and says 'It is all good.'”

“You know it would not be a bad thing if you spent some of your ‘excess’ time checking out the ladies.” Grace continued.

Raymond gave Grace’s words ample consideration as he walked the streets. The problem was that the girls he knew seemed two-dimensional, like cardboard cutouts. It was not his nature to be a 'player' and keep a harem of girls dangling.  On the other  hand, he got bored with any one girl in a matter of a week or two and simply could not get excited about investing time in building a relationship with another girl like that.

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