So I'm going to a family practice doc down the street later this afternoon to rule out an infection, regarding the good ol' blad. I'm happy they fit me in so quickly (I just called) but not so happy I'll be missing Oprah today - I've been waiting for this televised event for close to a week! (When a girl just sits on a couch all day, this is pretty much the pinnacle of excitement.) The Big O is interviewing Elizabeth Edwards, the often admirable and stoic wife of disgraced presidential hopeful Johnny Boy Edwards, and by golly, I wanted to see it! TiVO would have really come in handy, now.
UPDATE: I do not have a UTI - there is no infection. The doc was mystified, and said it could be some kind of trauma related to the Foley catheter or the surgery itself. I will have to wait it out. In the meantime, I have a specialist appointment set-up for next week if the discomfort does not dissipate. Sigh. On another note, did anyone catch the Edwards interview?!
Oh, since I am on a music kick, I also wanted to include another song filling our airwaves these solemn rainy days. Matt and I watched Battle in Seattle this week, a drama about the WTO protests in Seattle in '99. We both enjoyed the film, particularly me, because I didn't even know the basics about the WTO, sadly enough. After thirty minutes on Wikipedia, I am now properly versed (well, sort of...the intricacies still confuse my not-very-nimble mind). The National's "Fake Empire" played during the credits, we loved it, and here it is:
I love that song too--downloaded the cd--can burn you a copy if you like.
ReplyDeleteNancy
Matthew is one step ahead of you! ;-)
ReplyDeleteKathryn, Actually Maureen Dowd had a very negative take on Elizabeth Edwards on the Wed op-ed page in the NYT. I don't always like Maureen Dowd--I really prefer Gail Collins--but it did make me wonder. I only saw a few minutes of the Oprah interview, but when I tuned in Elizabeth was saying that she had no interest in whether or not John was the father of the "other woman's" baby. I found it incredible that she wouldn't want John to verify parenthood so that he could meet his responsibilities to the child should he be the father. As a mother herself, I would think that she wouldn't want any child to be abandoned by a parent. But maybe I was swayed too much by Maureen Dowd. Maybe since you are finding yourself with some free time, you could take on a research project. I would be interested in your opinion if you were able to track down both the Maureen Dowd piece and the Oprah interview. Cyndy
ReplyDeleteHi Cyndy,
ReplyDeleteI have accepted your challenge! Well - somewhat. I could only find snippets of the interview, but I'm sure they encompassed the juicer bits.
I did read Dowd's piece, and I have to say - for the most part - I am not a huge advocate of hers. Her hostility to Hillary Clinton - and really everyone who she is not currently enamored by - have made her (in my mind) much more vacuous and lacking in reason than her Times contemporary Gail Collins (don't you love when she hooks up with David Brooks and they go at it?)!
With that said, I did find Dowd's piece interesting. However, I also found it tiring (how much vitriol can one woman possess)? I don't think any of us can properly judge Elizabeth Edwards in speaking out: we are not in her shoes, thank god. Dowd asks, "What does she expect to gain from this book?" I think this is simply the case of a woman who is not in control, attempting to gain some control by engaging in a therapeutic, cathartic exercise. I think she wrote this book for herself. This is a strong woman who is trying to work through her personal demons. Do I think the book and interview are in good taste? I am unsure.
I am tired of women who are cheated on being met with hostility: I think it’s entirely too simple-minded to say she should leave him. This is a woman with terminal cancer and two very young children who lives in a 28,000 house (I could write a whole other commentary on that) and could essentially live a separate life from her husband. She has bigger fish to fry, frankly.
Her saying she has no interest in knowing if the child is John’s, I’m sure, is a lie. But she is in self-preservation mode: she is embarrassed, ashamed, and angered. With that comment – and this book and interview – she is washing her hands of the situation. I’m sure she feels it’s all she can do. She is having the last word.
I absolutely agree a paternity test should be taken and John should redistribute some of his enormous wealth to his (probable) child – that is only right and, of course, his responsibility. But I don’t think Elizabeth should be held to the same: she is victim and she is mad, and if she wants to dismiss the child and affair, so be it.
However, I don’t think Elizabeth’s actions should go without any criticism: she knew of this affair early on, and only helped to further her husband’s political ambitions when they both knew this bomb could fall at any time. That is unacceptable.
I am not a fan of the Edwards (not now, or when he was running for office), but Maureen Dowd should refocus her condemnation not on Elizabeth, but John. It’s high time for us women to say: “Enough already.”
Enjoying the discussion!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Kathryn, I'm glad you accepted my proposal! You made many interesting points, and I must say that I agree with you about Maureen Dowd. She has become very shrill in recent years and bitterly (and I would say unfairly) critical of Hillary Clinton. I, too, am tired of women being put under the microscope and having their responses challenged when their husbands have affairs.
ReplyDeleteHowever, maybe because I am a mother and teacher, I cannot accept Elizabeth's dismissal of the child. That child is an innocent victim and deserves the full financial and emotional support of her father. To me, it is a responsibility of all us to protect children in our society. Perhaps, as you say, Elizabeth is acting out of shock and self-protection at this point. At any rate, I hope this child does not need to suffer for the mistakes of the adults.
Thanks for your feedback. I enjoyed the food for thought! Cyndy
I enjoyed the discussion as well! I absolutely agree with you that the child should be protected and supported - I hope John's actions are more admirable than his wife's words.
ReplyDelete