Updates for Sunday, January 25th [2004]
Household Concerns
Dear SIRS and MADAMS,
Well, I assure you my friends that this week has been a busy one. Ms. Everson has been scheduling me to replace some of her recent hires, as they have been calling in on sick leave, and I have been expected to replace them. I asked Ms. Everson is perhaps because of this increased reliance, I could get a raise in wage. She denied me that offer and scoffed at me, before kicking me out of the office and telling me to "shut up and get back to work". I am disappointed that she has yet treated me so disrespectfully, as it seems that for my free time, I work almost equally for her favor as I do for my own necessity. And I have yet to see honorable reprimands of those who do not show, despite me showing frequently, I am often threatened to be offered a notice of departure. Either way, the Pantry has kept me busy as of late.
I did end up meeting with Natalie again last Monday, and she and I both went out. We had a discussion as to the recent events, and I told her of my trip out to Seaside.
Natalie: The problem with them seems to be a lack of priority, Tom. They care more about the animals than they do the human beings around them.
Me: That may be right but it's not an argument they'll respect, there must be a better way to articulate it. Daniel has been spending more time participating in these protests and activism with this James fellow than he has been spending time looking for new work. I'm beginning to get worried about him getting a job.
Natalie: So, why not drag him out of the house to go look for one?
Me: Every time I speak to him he is harsh and abrupt. James has spent much of his time telling him what I think are lies about my character. Daniel really seems displeased with me. I told him he is as honorable my friend as can be, and that I will continue to work hard to help him with his debts, so I might stay in his care. But I don't know what is going through his mind right now. He is always spending his time frivolously, a prodigal pervert.
Natalie: Well, you should talk to him then.
Me: I may but, I feel vulnerable here, where I am now... I am new to this land, after all.
Natalie: Well, let me tell you, America isn't much different from France. I don't care how far away and small your town was. It's weird though, you have an accent, but it sure doesn't sound French.
Me: Well, it is to my favor that I explain, I had very peculiar parents, who granted me a fairly large estate for which to isolate myself from modern living, so I do not know for certain...
... Talking to Ms. Natalie Cato is becoming harder as time goes by. I tell her I'm an immigrant from France, I do not tell her the truth, that I have indeed travelled through time, being de-aged to my days of youth, and now live in a time and place that is entirely foreign to me: she only knows me by my new statehood name, Sir Thomas Johnson, not by my proper Christian name, Thomas Jefferson. I probably do not seem to be from France, nor are my half-truths convincing. I must find new ways to avoid these new questions.
As for Daniel, he and I have not spoken much for this whole of the last week, and while I work a lot, it seems unusual. He has been honorable to me, but I think it a part of his character to suspect foul play from those who do him no justice to his friends and the lot he is given but does not work for, something of a form of envy or bitterness, I know not either. I gave him some extra money upon his behest knowing of the great pains he takes to keep me and the household secure so I might have shelter in this strange world, and guidance, and he has done nothing wrong upon me yet for this trust. James however, I hold no such regard for.
It was two days ago I overheard James and Daniel argue about the principles of some new ideology, called "Communism", that James had brought up before my overhearing. Daniel insisted it was the perfect doctrine, aside from it's vices, which must certainly be removed. James argued that it was the perfect doctrine already, and it's vices tools to impliment them. I could only overhear and listen, and wonder exactly what it was Daniel was learning, or James proposing to teach. I had a feeling I wasn't welcome in the conversation, at least, not so long as it was directed by James.
Peoples of the Enternet, by allowing me confidence in securing my records permanently and in freedom without fear of the exposure, so be it so that it is this way, please accept my hopes of your health, happiness and long life.
- TH. Jefferson
Editor's Notes:
This update was not strong at all as I had slipped into a writing lull, but it did serve it's purpose. It came shortly after me reading up about Jefferson's perception of his relationship with fellow founder, John Adams. So I decided the post would be better off working plot points than trying to write uninspired, playing up this new idea I had for the immediate direction of the journal.
I was sure to add the comment with TeeJ working with Ms. Everson - "I work almost equally for her favor as I do for my own necessity" - as a throwback to part of Ms. Everson's purpose, to characterize government. As you can see, TeeJ and Ms. Everson are having growing problems.
Leading into the conversation, TeeJ recognizes that it's harder to argue against the New American Myth than it is to characterize it, as Natalie does a great job characterizing the animal right's movements, but TeeJ is going to find it harder to argue points similar to that when talking to characters like James and Ms. Everson later on. Hence, I think I'm going to have TeeJ do some more "articulating" in the future, to perhaps follow up on this point.
The "prodigal pervert" line isn't Jefferson speaking, it's Adam Smith. I've been doing a lot of reading of Smith's economic treatise, "The Wealth of Nations", and Smith's dry writing left phrases like "prodigal pervert" as the only quotable ones.
In the interpersonal relationship, some of the roles of Daniel and TeeJ are going to be more characterized by some of Jefferson's political peers. The conversation about Communism, for instance, parallels a conversation between Adams and Hamilton about the British Constitution. Jefferson stayed out of that conversation, but recorded it at a later time while talking about his relationship with Adams, just as I had TeeJ do with Daniel. Jefferson was loyal to his friends, perhaps even naive in the way he saw Adams as an honorable friend, when in many ways, Adams wasn't.
We'll see how that's touched on more later, as developments occur between Daniel and TeeJ.
