Heartless

In a former life at my office I was the assistant editor for our magazine. I scrounged for story ideas and copy, taking the first crack at cleaning them up then passing them on to the editor. While preparing for my second issue with the magazine, we heard about a group of students from the university who had been stranded in Kenya during the riots after the 2007 presidential election. Their work with the group Made in the Streets had them working with and caring for orphaned street children addicted to sniffing glue which eased their hunger pains.

I first took a crack at editing the guest column submitted by one of the students recounting her harrowing trip. After reading the unedited version of the column the editor appeared at my office door with tears in her eyes. "What?" I said. "How can you not have cried while reading this?" She asked. "Umm, I dunno." And henceforth I have been deemed ‘Heartless’ at work. You take a red pen to a story about a Kenyan street orphan ONCE… (page 38: When Titus Meets an Aggie)

Ironically, late last year I wrote an award-winning article, “Stop the Bad Guys,” about a memorial scholarship in honor of a CIA operative who was taken down, not by enemy fire, but by breast cancer. Since then, ‘Heartless’ is the unofficial memorial story writer for the department.

This weekend, having taken on another memorial assignment, I was nervous. This time the scholarship honored a 14-year-old high school student. How was I going to interview grieving parents who had lost their son only a month before? What if they cried? Should I cry? What if I didn’t cry – would I look heartless? So the Mom did cry, and I didn’t. I sat and listened. And let the Dad hold her hand. And let her talk when she was ready. And I hope… that I didn’t come across heartless.

I had no idea what to wear to interview a grieving family. Show up like I was attending the funeral? Surely no bright colors, sensible shoes? It WAS a Saturday after all. So here is what I chose.
Dress: Converse One Star Dress $30; Tank: V-neck Lace Cami $24.50; Shoes: Animal Ballet Flat $20; Bag: Michael Kors Joplin Large Shoulder Bag $150 via Ross (ages ago).