Universal Identifier

[mallorys_camera]

Don't ask me why, but I signed up for an Introduction to Judaism class at the local reform synagogue. Male rabbi wears a beige suit and clashing green and yellow yamaka. Female rabbi is dressed in casual drab, but seems pretty sharp -- enormous eyes, quick mind, an obvious observer and impromptu integrator.

After the class -- "kadosh," the Hebrew word for "holy" is etymologically related to the Hebrew word for "unique" -- we go around the room and speak a little about why we're here.

"I didn't have a strong religious context growing up," I explain. "I'm the mongrel offspring of a nice Jewish girl and a Sicilian sailor. This made for hybrid vigor, but spiritual confusion."

The lady rabbi, Beryl, studies me. "If your mother's Jewish, many people would say that you're Jewish."

"But probably not the people who baptized me," I smile.

In other news -- I did not get the First Night job. Disappointment mollified somewhat by the fact that the two people on the Board of Directors who liked me broke the unspoken code of employment interviews and contacted me afterwards to tell me how much they'd liked me. Hey, and I know it's their loss -- they really need to galvanize their operation if it's gonna survive and the person they hired is all about business as usual. I may not have a lot of skills, but thinking constructively outside the box is definitely a strong point.

"You were great," said Janey. "That presentation you did was awesome. You nailed it. And one of the reasons I called you is to tell you that my company is hiring. Use my name."

So I cruised on over to their web site, and yes -- many job descriptions for which I'd be a good fit. Plus a ten minute commute!

Still struggling with Universal Identifier. Prose is good, but the original wild, undisciplined outpouring had juice that none of the rewrites has managed to squeeze. I'm trying to approach it logically. I guess I'm going to have to write a bar scene where Loman gets to review his failure with women.