[lit-ideas] Re: Saturday Wotsit
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2008 09:02:31 -0800
Leaves on the oaks in front of our house have now turned the same
shade of orange as the frame around a nineteenth century print of
mountains, mists and a Scottish highland cow herd, that hangs in
our bedroom. People sometimes ask what starts writing, where it
begins. If ever there were inspiration surely this coincidence
would be the sort of thing to count. But from this particular
nudge or jog, little comes. I find my mind wants to concentrate on
a list of job titles: Vice President for College Advancement,
formerly Interim Executive Director at the X Care Foundation,
before that Director of Foundation Relations, and before that
Manager of Prospect Research. Orwell and Robert Graves whisper in
my ear, "She gets people to give money."
So what?
At work we have been given a new form to sign. The college has
changed insurance companies. According to the note which goes with
the form, the new company requires PNCA to screen "all new and
current employees against the sexual offenders registries." But
what the form itself actually says is that we agree to our employer
ordering: "a consumer report and/or investigative
report...additional background check reports...[which may include]
information as to your character, general reputation, personal
characteristics and mode of living. By your signature below, you
hereby authorize us to order consumer and/or investigative consumer
reports, including, but not limited to, the following information:
social security number validation; criminal, public, exucational
and, as appropriate, driving recors; employment history and
earnings history; military service; credit reports, licensing and
certification checks, and drug testing results. The information
may be obtained from private and public repositories of
information, and can be disclosed to the processing agency and its
agents."
Wondering how we came to this level of intrusion into privacy, I
move away from my views of leaves and picture frames and decide to
finish what I think the Oregon flag should look like, to draw some
ideas, color them with pastels, send the buggers off to a
competition to re-design same. This is a way of escaping, in my
mode of living, people e-mailing me about how the St Andrew's
dinner will go and whether the highland dance stuff is all
organized, and could I meet with, and have I reviewed the revised,
and what is my view on--you know exactly how it goes. I wanted to
feel that something beautiful or at least silky could be made.
Excuse me, if I wasted time or otherwise did wrong.
Seattle here I come.
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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