THE ROMANCE THAT SHOUNDNT...

THE ROMANCE WHICH SHOULDN’T… It is a crazy thing, but the romance, that I shared, with a woman, was one neither of us expected. Like a precious friend of mine, from years past, her name was, also, Dawn. The difference was that, un-like my past friend, who was deaf, this woman could hear as well as anyone else. The reason why we got together was because of a rally. I remember it, well, since the rally was in regards to the new Berlin Wall. That “white elephant”, which Donald J. Trump had insisted upon building, along the Texas/Mexico border. A wall which opponents wanted to tear down, just as the Germans had torn down the first Berlin Wall. While those, in favor of demolition, argued that the PRICE, of the new wall, at close to $50 million, per mile, was a cost, which the United States could afford, no more than the Communists could afford the first wall, it would seem that Dawn and I were “on the same page”. With demolition cost estimates running near $80 million per mile, Dawn listened as I suggested an alternative. An ART contest. A contest in which America’s best up-and-coming artists would be challenged to submit designs for murals, which would turn that “eye-sore” into a thing of beauty. While Dawn listened to me speak, about the advantages, of the concept, she, also listened as I spoke to another group. This time, on HOW to power the electric grid, of America, once the nation converted to electric vehicles. Dawn had listened because, while she, also, advocated, for electric vehicles, where she stumbled was when people asked her “Just HOW are we supposed to POWER so much electric vehicles?” This is why Dawn listened as a similar group approached me, and I laid out plans, which left the audience speechless. When one person asked “CAN we, really do it?” I promised them “The tech has existed since the 1970’s. All it needs is a bit of UP-dating.” After my talk, Dawn followed me to the bar, where she was surprised that I ordered “Diet soda”, for a drink. When she suggested “Let me guess. You are in A-A, and trying to stay sober.” I would tell her, softly “Wrong, my beautiful inquisitor. MY stomach does not like sugar, and I am a Diabetic.” When Dawn would say “Really?” then add “I know of several Diabetics, myself, and they drink, regularly.” When I would smile as I asked “OH, really?” Dawn would say “Just put a beer in front of them, and they toss Diabetes “out the window”.” I would suggest “So, they LIKE the needle.” Dawn would say “They put up with it, for the booze, and snacks.” This is when I would ask “Besides the obvious, how may I be of service?” Dawn would ask “Beyond the obvious?” I told her “As beautiful as you are, you dont want to know what I am holding back.” Dawn would say “You sound like my ex. Him and his “I have BIG dreams…” Then ask “What about you? Any BIG dreams?” I would inform her “MY BIG dreams, at present, are helping the United States.” When she said “I heard. Do you think we can?” I told her “100%” When she asked “How many times have you complimented women in this way?” I told her “Three, maybe four.” When she asked, I told her “You remind me, so much, of a friend I, once, knew, it is like the 1980’s have returned.” Dawn would say “You know, I was thinking the same thing. Just not about the 1980’s. You remind me so much of a man I know.” When I asked “A good man?” Dawn would say “A dreamer. He is, constantly looking for the next big deal.” When I went to ask, Dawn would say “Nothing like that. I had to call it off when, at a time when he was out of money, he came to me, asking for as much as I could spare. Said he knew of a deal with 100,000-to-1 odds. He asked me for $20.00 for the wager.” When I suggested “I HOPE you said “NO””, Dawn smiled as she said “I told him that, if he wants money, to go elsewhere. At that time, I had only $20.00 to keep me in food, for two weeks.” When she asked “Tell me you dont wager.” I would say “Only when I control the outcome.” When Dawn would ask “For instance?” I told her “MY current wager is whether or not I can save the United States money, on NOT tearing down that wall.” Dawn would say “I heard most of it. Do you think painting it will make it any less ugly?” I told her “IT is my goal to create a “Never forget” display.” After a bit more conversation, Dawn and I moved to the refreshments area, where Dawn was surprised that, like her, I avoided the sugary snacks, and went for the FOOD section. After a delicious bite to eat, and with the inside conversation having turned to budget cuts, and finances, I escorted Dawn out onto a terrace. Here I told her “watch out.” When she asked “Why?”, I pointed at the moon, then said “That, plus your beauty.” When she said “Talk is cheap.” This is when I took her into my arms, for the first time, and kissed her. The next thing we knew, music was playing, and Dawn looked at me. This is when, as the music wafted out of the terrace doors, I took Dawn into my embrace, and we danced, away from the inside crowd. The time, when Dawn and I agreed that it was time to leave, was when the inside discussion turned to matters such as women, deserving equal pay to men, and the question of Why the United States needed a minimum wage. On the way to her place, Dawn would mention that a convenience store was her mans favorite place to shop. She smiled, and snuggled up, to me, as I suggested that “I could buy three sacks, full of goods, for the price of one sack, at that place.” At her place, when we sat, together, and she asked me my plans, I told her “At present, my plans are to work with the president, to help the nation fix itself.” When she asked “Your long term plans?” I told her “Lets see how the short term comes out.” Dawn KNEW she was “in trouble” from the first time I gave her a french kiss. Later, in her bed, she KNEW that she was “in, over her head”, as I nursed. While, after this “date”, Dawn had me promise that we would just WORK together, destiny had other plans. Dawn found that, the more I shared her bed, the more she wanted us to “be together”. Not just in bed, either. We, both, had the same goals. To save the planet by crushing Racism, and emphasizing reversing Climate Change. Any time the subject was the new Berlin Wall, either of us was the first to give the revised estimate on how much demolition would cost. We worked, aggressively, at the idea of the art project. Our emphasis was on the fact that changing that eye-sore, into an art project, would save taxpayers billions of dollars. ON womens healthcare rights, we could not be in more agreement. We, BOTH, felt that women should have the right to decide their own lives. To my amazement, Dawn even agreed with me (with very little effort), that taxpayers should NOT fund Abortion. I was just so surprised when Dawn smiled at the idea of charging each abortion to a womans credit rating, just the same as homes, cars, electronics, etc were billed. About the only woman, that we knew, who stood in total opposition, to this, was a woman who had used abortion 15 times, to date. When Dawn asked the woman “Have you heard of birth control?” The woman had, bizarrely, said “This nation owes me!” When Dawn asked “Why?” The woman would only say “Because I SAID so.” While Dawn and I avoided such “hot button” topics, whenever possible, what we DID work on was such idea’s as converting coal-fired power plants into solar farms. This, and the idea, that some people laughed at. The idea that, instead of trying to repair aging dams, that new ones be built, in front of them. What people laughed at was my idea for installing hydro-electric units within the dam, to generate power. When some fools asked “That has never been done, before, HAS it?” Dawn would mention “Have you ever heard of Hoover Dam?” When some people stated that there was no way that land-based dams could provide enough power, it was Dawn, and I, together, who briefed people on my idea for building mega-massive hydro-electric plants, just beyond the Continental Slope, of the United States. When people mentioned that gas stations just did not seem to have the ROOM, for electric car charging ports, this is when Dawn and I would mention the fact that charging ports could be placed anywhere. Grocery stores, department stores, etc. When someone asked “And just how much money would we have to carry, to “feed” the meters?” Dawn would be first to ask “Do you have a debit, or credit, card?” When the person would say “Of course, who doesn’t?” Dawn would say “Then you know how to pay.” Dawn may have claimed that her desire, in life, was to be a good wife, and mother, but she was so GOOD at handling people. While I KNOW that I was told, by several people, that Dawn did, in fact, have a man, and even Dawn told me about him, I just dont remember seeing him. In fact, all that I knew about him was what Dawn, and others, said, about him. His name was Doug, and he spent all of his time dreaming about the “one big hit”. He just had to hit the biggest jackpot, ever, and he would be able to pursue his plans. What made me wonder, about him was that, for quite some time, after Dawn and I met, I would swear that I was her only man. Her bed was our “palace”. If one “bad” thing did come out of our being together, it was her mother. A woman, who was about as “fond” of Doug, as flesh is “fond”, of battery acid. While Dawn did not even consider the news, about me, she, soon, found that her mother was collecting news items, about me/us. Sure, Dawn knew that reporters were interviewing me, about whether I thought my plans could work, but it was her parents, who scoured the media, for articles. Her father would find some, while reading the newspaper, in his “favorite place”. These, he marked, for her mother, who cut the article out. Dawn only came to realize how often I was in the headlines, when her mother bought a photo album, and mother and daughter began “pasting” the articles to the pages. When her mother would mention “Too bad about Doug.” Dawn KNEW what her mother meant. Doug’s “Greatest achievement”, so far, had been winning beer-chugging contests. That, and the fact that he never stopped talking about “Winning the big one”. This, while he sat, in a small apartment, day in and out, forever dreaming of a better life. It was only after the most recent article was placed in the book, that a fact dawned on Dawn. It was the fact that, for eight months, or longer, I was the only man she was having. She knew the reason as well. The last two times, when he had called upon her, he never let her explain that she had “previous commitments”. As soon as she said “Sorry, no can do.” He had hung up. He never gave her the chance to say “IF you had called two weeks earlier”, OR “Can we try for later?” This is why I shared her bed, on a regular basis. The Democratic Party did its best to give us time off, whenever possible. Simple fact was, there was just so much to do. What gave Dawns family, and friends, such a loud laugh, was when a reporter suggested that Dawn WAS my Mrs. Dawn only found out when her parents asked “Why didn’t you invite US to the wedding?” When Dawn asked “What wedding?” her mother showed her the article. (Her mother saw Dawn smile at the typo) Funny thing was, it took the reporter less then four hours to commit the typo, yet it took eight weeks for us to straighten it out. Eight weeks, during which Dawn took part in televised debates, over the topic of womens healthcare rights. Eight weeks during which I spent more time than I wanted, explaining to neigborhood associations that “privatizing” local parks would give home owners more control over how parks looked. Of course, I was criticized, over my position on “privatized” retirement accounts, but I told the people it was up to them. They could privatize the parks, and own, and upkeep, themselves, or not. While her family read articles, about me, and the parks, they WATCHED, on television, as Dawn stated FACTS about each adult having the right to make own decisions. While ANTI-choice tried everything, possible, to make Dawn look like the Devils Mistress, Dawn noticed that more people WANTED to know her. People, who agreed that each adult has the right to their own life. The time, when Dawn realized how “out of hand” the situation was becoming, was when people stopped calling, asking when I was available, and began asking when SHE was available. When Dawn showed me a poster, asking for my opinion, and saying “I am not sure that I like it.” I suggested “Why not remove the words “In favor of Abortion”, and replace it with “IN favor of Womens Healthcare Rights”? When Dawn and I met with the poster maker, they agreed that the words could be changed. While both Dawn, and myself, would have wagered a months worth of benefits, that our “wave” would fizzle at the end of Mr. Bidens second term in office, it seems that, had we made that wager, we would have lost. This because, by the time Decision 2024 had come up, some kind of accident had removed Mrs. Harris from active participation, in government. Like myself, she had an injury which would require YEARS of therapy. This is why AOC had agreed to step up, to the post. After all, the Green New Deal had been her idea. It would be shortly after Biden/Cortez had won another term, that AOC asked Dawn and I to stay on. Just until the party was un-seated from power. A difficult proposition, at best, since, because of the “mud-slinging” following Decision 2020, and a Republican promise to obstruct Mr. Biden, at every turn, had caused the public to turn on the Republicans. In 2022, a tidal wave, of blue took over congress, and gave Mr. Biden a 75% Democratic congress. While too many people thought that a Democratic White House, and Congress would lead to an easier way of life, Mr. Biden would, in fact, keep several pieces, of Republican legislation in place. Legislation which held EVERYONE to account. While it was nowhere near the projected goal, by the time Mr. Biden “turned over the keys”, to incoming President Cortez, about 1/3 of the American public had either traded gas-powered cars, for electric, or had swapped engines. Maybe a slightly larger number, of mass transit vehicles had been modified as well. The United States may have added about $15 trillion more, in debt, but the return on investment was that roads were being re-surfaced, and bridges were either being repaired, or replaced. Millions of miles, worth of side-walks, were being re-laid, as well. Twelve nuclear plants had been shuttered, as no less than fifteen coal plants were turned into solar farms. Even my suggestion for making dams into “tourist attractions”, paid off. The construction, of the first four, off-coast hydro-electric generation stations, was well under development. By the time Dawn had a change to “catch up” with Doug, he had another woman, as well as both a child, and another on the way. When Doug asked Dawn, sarcastically, “WHAT do you have?” Dawn said nothing. Instead, she went to her parents house, pulled out the album, and reviewed the coverage, which had made her “famous”. When her mother came in, Dawn repeated what Doug had said to her. This is when her mother asked “How many people can do what you, and your man, have done?” Dawn did know of a few people, who had gone into management, with employers, but few, if any, had as much publicity, about them. Maybe half the class had gone into regular jobs, while the other half went on benefits. Even “Dreamer” Doug had no REAL accomplishments, to his list. Nothing more than a dream of “hitting the big one.” As for what eventually happened to his wife, and children, no one could prove anything. This since, at the time of the incident, he was in another city, talking with “investors” about his desire to re-build a car, and become a race driver. It was while he was talking about investing in his car that “unknown persons” broke into the family’s unit, and, silently, slit all three throats. While some people suspected that Doug had “contracted” the killings, the problem was that he had dozens of witnesses to prove he was away from town. The only “evidence”, linking him to the crime, was the fight he had, with his wife. A shouting match over whether a dirty diaper was more important than sex. While Dawn was his “ex”, she could not testify since, from the time of the shouting, until the time of the murder, she was out, on tour, talking of womens healthcare. Still, neither Dawn, nor her family, would have put it past Doug, to have ordered the act. What really hurt Dawn, however, was when Menopause “snuck up” on her. Her dream of raising three, to five, children, was “snatched away”, when “nature” took away her ability. From here on out, all she could do was dream of a family, and work to protect the rights of others. This as I gained un-expected “fame” in regards to the Berlin Wall art project. I mean, all I did was that, when artists needed starting points, for work, I made suggestions. Sure, my suggestions lead to finished works, but it was the artists, not myself, who did the actual work. That, and the fact that I contributed to increasing the size, of the union, by five states. This, by suggesting that southerners petition for state-hood. I made several suggestions, which turned into completed acts. Just as Dawn did. If there was a “down-size” to this, it was the fact that too many, of Dawns friends, went to early graves, as a result of drug, alcohol, “diet”, and lack of exercise. While Dawns friends asked how Dawn remained so youthful, while they were looking older, by the day, Dawn followed her mothers advice, and said nothing. Not even during peoples final days, when they asked how Dawn did it. Since these people had nothing but LINK, and benefits, having done nothing with their lives, there would be no visitations, and only Dawn and I at grave-side. All that ministers could do was give a review of school life, and a hope that the hereafter would be better for the people. When Dawn asked her mother “Do you think that I will be treated the same?” Her mother would laugh, saying “Kid, with ALL you, and your man, have done, I doubt that you will not be remembered.” While her parents died, YEARS before either of us, Dawn found out how correct her mother was. When my time came, the town nearly had to close down, for all of the visitors. While state government would have preferred a basic, low-budget, body dump, what the city ended up with was a celebration of such magnitude that it was like I was Professor Einstein. Dawn would be greeted by ambassadors, artists, and many others. The flowers would require a small fleet of trucks, to deliver. Even my headstone would be donated. Dawn just could not get over the fact that the word “Visionary” was carved below my name. The only thing that the now-white haired Dawn was happy about was the fact that, NOW, she could “pass the torch” to someone else, to carry on the work. While her final days would not be spent, with her OWN children, Dawn would move in, with her siblings, and their children. She would watch as the dreams, of the 1970’s, became todays reality. Fully functional. The dreamers, of the 1960’s, and 1970’s, had come of age. We had achieved our goals. What more could anyone ask?