Oyster informs us that Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York was in New Orleans to raise money for local Ronald McDonald charities. According to the Times Picayune Fergie “vowed to call Gov. Kathleen Blanco to voice her
concerns about the sluggish pace of Road Home grants.” Regarding this Oyster writes…
…but I do know that she called Blanco’s Road Home program and they didn’t believe it was really Fergie and hung up on her.
OK I may be critical of the Road Home program but on this one I am sympathetic because I have been there…embarrassingly so.
Back in ’04, I volunteered quite a bit for the Kerry campaign. Well one day Caroline Kennedy was coming to town to appear on behalf of Kerry and my sister really wanted to go but had to work. You see being Irish, well Caroline Kennedy is our royalty. My sister was heartbroken at not being able to go. As it turned out I wasn’t able to go either because I needed to work at home on some things for the campaign that needed to get done.
So while I was working away (and just after the second woe-be-me-I’m-missing-Caroline-Kennedy-call from sis) I get another phone call. A woman asked for me by name and said she was Caroline Kennedy. I was thinking my sister has put a co-worker up to this and of course not to be taken for a fool, I laughed and replied snidely …”Oh yeah right I bet you are.”
The reply was prompt and very polite…
“Well as a matter of fact yes I am. I am in town today and have heard you’ve been doing a great deal of work for the campaign and wanted to call and say thank you.”
At that point I realized this was indeed Caroline Kennedy and I was a big fat schmuck. She never missed a beat and I never found mine for the rest of the conversation.
And of course my sister (having done nothing) had the last laugh anyway.
So to whoever hung up on Fergie…I feel ya