my memories of the rnc

The date was July 31, 2000.  Ah, I remember it well.

It was night-time. I was stuck in bed in the maternity ward of our local hospital...still pregnant.  They had induced labor that morning, but the dang kid was stubborn and didn't want to come out into the world yet.  The doctors decided to keep me overnight so that they could kick it up a notch the next morning, so I shooed my hubby home so he could get some sleep in a decent bed before he wouldn't be able to again for quite a few months.

So there I was, alone in a hospital bed, hooked up to internal monitors (in other words, I had wires hanging out of my hoo-ha) and an IV, a nurse call button to the side of me, and a TV remote in my hand.  Unfortunately the only thing that was being shown on the limited number of channels offered by the local hospital was the Republican National Convention. (This was prior to the name being shortened to RNC for the sake of people who type using only their thumbs.)  Hundreds of people in silly hats prattling on about the "great state of" blah-ba-dee-blah that they were from and casting their nominations for "The next President of these great United States, George W. Bush!"  Sigh.  (Don't get me wrong, I would have despised being forced to watch the Democratic Convention as well, though this was a bit worse.  I hate politics.)

The 2000 Republican National Convention

A scream came from down the hall.  She must have been just as thrilled about the television selection as I was.  Oh, wait...this was the maternity ward.  Nice to know someone around here is actually giving birth.  And then I remembered that I was supposed to be doing the same thing the next day.  In an instant, I wasn't so thrilled to be listening to the woman down the hall screaming in agony.  I wanted to turn up the sound on the TV to block out the screams, but that would have only made me scream right along with her.  I couldn't win!

I tried desperately to find something - ANYTHING - else to watch.  I would have taken the Weather Channel if they had it, but I wasn't that fortunate.  I tried going to my happy place, but the 3rd circle of hell that I was somehow trapped in was too overpowering to allow me to escape.  I had to concede to one or the other and in an effort to psych myself up for the next day and keep a little bit of sanity, I turned off the television and listened to the horrific beautiful sounds of the miracle of childbirth, made a mental note to have the hubby bring movies for me to watch the next day, and swore that I would never watch a political convention ever again.

I'm proud to report it's a promise I've kept to myself for twelve years now.