Dear C,
I have discovered a wonderful new word in my vocabluary – one whose monosyllabic bluntness I confess fills me with a heady thrill. I am speaking, of course, of the word ‘No’ – a term hitherto reserved for combatting the oldballandchain’s incessant marital demands. Yesterday, I employed this exotic term no less than twice – first, in refusing to take care of a new classmate of my eldest, whose single working mother asked if her daughter could come over to our house every day after school; and secondly, in refusing to drive over to the house of my youngest’s best friend, who had forgotton her homework and wanted to copy my daughter’s.
Of the two, I must confess to finding most pleasure in sticking it to the latter, a singularly pushy child who will no doubt have a long and successful career in DC politics one day. However, lest you fear I am about to embark on a career specializing in thwarting the desires of harmless eight-year olds, let me add that I have since branched out into nixing the demands of the adult world, also. Only yesterday, I declined to assist the school PTA president in her scheme to enlist volunteers to help clean up the sorely neglected school grounds. No doubt, it would save all those parents with Important Careers thousands of tax dollars to have people like me do it for nothing, but, as I explained to her on the phone, I am far too busy scheduling my next pedicure and massage appointments to possibly spare the time.
I feel confident, dear C, that you will be able to supply my daughters with the requisite recommendations should the need arise, as it may shortly, to get them into private school.
Faithfully,
P.
