The Turn Of An Intern

There is no clear explanation for my burning desire to be a summer intern at The White House, but it’s been my goal since I was ten years old. Although I didn’t comprehend what was necessary to be competitive enough to actually receive a summer internship at that age, I serendipitously fulfilled every one of them over the course of the next nine years. Studying politics, history and our Constitution inexplicably possessed me, but never a Barbie doll.

Since Junior High School, never a day passed without my participation in the very long list to show my commitment and value as a summer intern at the White House. Obviously, I didn't know who the President would be in the future, but I did know I had to be in The White House someday. Everything about our history fascinated me. It was never pushed on me, but definitely within me like something with which I was born. Perhaps it was a trait that came along with my OCD.

My love of animals, and not to eat them, because I was Vegan, prompted me to volunteer at our local animal shelter. All the rest of my family were ‘murdered livestock’ eaters, as I called them, but they knew I was just razzing them and it was my unflappable expression to make them aware it was actually a very accurate moniker. My soapbox about the treatment of animals raised for slaughter was heard often enough by them. While volunteering at the nearby animal shelter, I also convinced my Mom and Dad to let me foster rescues until a suitable home could be found for them. When I got my driver’s license at 16, I would even escort well-behaved dogs and sometimes puppies to nursing homes to put smiles back on on the residents' faces. Puppies were always a game changer for everybody by uplifting the residents whether they were physically ill, suffering from dementia, or in hospice care. Puppies have a magical gift that seems to disappear pain and anguish, albeit momentarily. It was both gratifying and caused me to ugly cry many times seeing their faces light up like they were six years old again.

My OCD made me an organized clean freak, so if there was any environmental clean up or other efforts to save anything, I’d be there instead of sleeping in on the weekends like all my friends did. Life ends soon enough, so no moments were ever wasted by me. Sure, I loved to sleep. Who doesn't? It refreshes our brains, but mine only needed about four hours of refreshing sleep. Was it a curse or luck that as soon as I opened my eyes, thoughts of accomplishments filled my mind until I got out of bed and made them happen? My vote is for luck.

One side benefit of an organized mind was my schoolwork absolutely had to be perfect. An IQ that was Mensan, made me a consistently straight-A student every year. Becoming a tutor and mentor during my first year in Junior High was requested by both my Junior and Senior High School faculty. Not only was I honored by this request, it was a tremendously rewarding experience and I will always treasure my relationships with each student.

Dating was only if I wasn’t busy with civic and other community activities. I had plenty of friends and boys who really wanted to get serious. My wild side had it's place and ample amounts of teenage craziness ensued. However, the only thing I was serious and determined about was my dream of going to Washington, D.C. — in particular, The White House.

***

Graduating as Valedictorian early while taking college-level courses was par for the course because education more was paramount in my life. Challenges were a necessity for me and I was always begging to be stumped. I never was. Not even once.

Receiving a full academic scholarship to Harvard at sixteen was predictable because I knew exactly what I wanted. Basking in all the history of our country obsessively resonated with me. Just to think that some of our Founding Fathers were around my age and formed this new experiment in Democracy, fueled my desire to make sure it survived and kept moving forward to become closer and closer to that “more perfect Union.”

All my professors knew my goals and informed me of some necessary further steps in order to be the most competitive to secure my dream. Completion of everything on the checklist by the time I was eighteen was done, of course, at the same time I was given another full academic scholarship into Harvard Law School. Now, all I needed was to apply for my now, not impossible dream, — that coveted White House Summer Internship.

After Christmas break and starting Harvard Law School, I knew applying early was key because January through February are the months to submit an application for a summer internship. Applications start towards the end of January and end around the closing days of February. True to my determination, my application was completed and mailed by January 31. It was about to get real.

My real REAL took only two weeks. I was really accepted into The White House Summer Internship Program! It was an email, but with hackers, currently hacking everything and everybody it seemed, I asked my favorite law professor to check if it was true, when I wasn’t jumping up and down screaming! I thought it was a scam or a lie because I had to complete a Form 86, which is a Security Clearance. Since the term ‘86’ means to trash something, it was just creepy and strange enough to make me worried. My laughter when I found out that it was indeed the form number was epic! How did I not know that?

That spectacular dream day finally arrived. A welcoming event on The White House lawn was ultimate nirvana for me. The essence of the freshly-mowed grass on The White House lawn, wafted in my nose like a toke from a bong to me, especially in my dream-like state of mind. Seeing and feeling The White House's looming presence behind me made me have to actually pinch myself very hard. I did. Ouch. It was all really happening, finally.

One caveat to this special day was the fact I did not vote for and abhorred President David Taylor. Too many lies, cons, narcissism, womanizing, racism, breaking every rule of law, and his tendency toward ending Democracy was disgustingly pathetic. I still don't understand how he won, but I had already been accepted to live my lifelong dream. Hoping I could somehow change the course of that direction the country had inexplicably taken during the last election, I still accepted the Summer Internship. I earned it, after all. Listening to a speech which was obviously written for him, was still just word salad, boring, and disappointing.

***

Everyone surrounding a President is checked for weapons. No one is exempt. It’s a odd thing, however, because no one ever checks The First Lady, do they? I mean, really? Why would one ever have to? Would anyone ever think she would take her precious Glock, licensed for residence/target range use, and bring it with her to a welcoming ceremony for the new summer interns? Hardly. That assumption and practice would dramatically and forever change from this day forward.

Before anyone could react, Mrs. David Taylor, AKA, Emily Roosevelt-Taylor, 52 years old, the child of political royalty, and the First Lady of the United States, took two quick steps forward, pulled the Glock from her jacket pocket, pointed it directly at her POTUS and shrieked loudly: “This is your fault. You goddamned bastard!”

Calling upon their training, the Secret Service quickly went into action and split up. Half of them rushed to and covered the President on the ground, who was clearly deceased, while the remaining three agents disarmed the First Lady and, in an action none of them could ever have envisioned much less practiced for, cuffed and manacled her. They quickly placed her in an armored vehicle which had appeared almost instantaneously per protocol, though none of this seemed to be any type of protocol. When has the FLOTUS ever assassinated the POTUS before? The surrealism of it all was all too real.

‘FLOTUS Falcon’ now sat, splattered with blood, handcuffed and manacled, in the back of the armored Secret Service vehicle. Her mind was both a blur and racing a million miles an hour. She never imagined her life would wind up like this. She closed her eyes and tried to escape the reality of her situation by thinking back to how she got here. Realizing all of David's behavior had dehumanized her and was threatening America as well, she concluded it was well worth whatever she would now face. Stopping him from further madness was heroic, at least to her. The POTUS had clearly destroyed what was left of her self esteem by cheating and lying to her and anybody else he encountered.

That is how my dream Summer Internship at The White House never happened. However, the dream of the Great Experiment called Democracy is still alive.