From the mouths of babes...

Those of you who know me know that I am the stage manager at the Coterie, a theatre for young audiences. Over the years, my nieces have seen a number of our shows. When we did The Big Friendly Giant, my niece Shelby came to see it with my Gran. During the play there was a section of shadow play in which the giants (actors in fat suits standing upstage of a silk curtain and being rear projected with white light) 'ate' children(barbies and baby dolls). Shelby, who was 7 or so at the time, demanded to leave. Gran thought Shelby must have been terrified by the giants' actions. Once outside the theatre, Gran asked Shelby if she was ok. Shelby said she just wanted to leave because "it wasn't nice" of the giants to eat the children. Shelby was already beginning her political lean for protesting at the age of 7.

I remember another day when Shelby was with me at the theatre and it was time to call places. I told her it was time to start the show. She wouldn't budge. I told her she had to come with me because we had to start the show. She dove under my desk. We debated for a minute (this was before I had children of my own)and I finally said "Shelby, you do not understand that in this building, when I say it is time to go, NO ONE tells me no." I picked her up, put her over my shoulder and off we went to the booth.

After that day she told her mother that she wanted to be a stage manager because "NO ONE tells AMY 'NO', Mommy!"

Now, my sister was out today canvasing for Obama. She had to explain 'canvasing' to Shelby (who is 11 now.) Shelby said that her aunt "Amy should be president because she is so organized." (I'm sure she was also thinking about the fact that NO ONE tells me "NO"!) So my sister called me today to tell me about Shelby's new found opinion. Wouldn't you know that when I got off the phone with my sister that it was time for me to start the show. I walked into the dressing room and told the actors "Now before I call the "P" word, I have a little story to share with you." I told them a condensed version of the above stories and then told them that after the show this afternoon I was leaving the Coterie and throwing my hat into the ring for the Presidency of the United States.

My name is Amy M. Abels Owen and I approve this message!