The Problems of Powerful Men

During the Viet Nam war, my husband was drafted. Basically a pacifist, he could not see any alternative to going. Many of our friends got psychological and other waivers, but he believed in doing this thing that all American young men did. As a Harvard graduate, he had the chance to go to Officer Training School, and the perks and pay would be better. But he chose to be a PFC and see where that led.

He was not about to do any possible thing that led to killing people. He stayed stateside in boring jobs, dispensing dental floss and teaching English to new recruits. At one period he was fingered to be some kind of bomb demolition expert, but he did not pass security clearance (Our parents were Lefties). And this guy who could have been an amazing four star general, except for that inconvenient fact of his pacifism, went on to be a powerful person in journalism.

I remember dreaming about what would happen if he decided to be a military man, and thinking that that fact would lose him from me entirely.

Then our lives tumbled into great careers, the raising of a family, and by increments our financial position improved from the relative poverty when we were students. There were times, later on when we dined at the White House, danced at soirees given by the President of Argentina and Chili, toured Russia, ate incredible buffets put on by the King of Norway. But at home we painted our own house, went to soccer games, and our entertainments were largely just friends we cooked for.

We were beguiled by the opulence of many of the entertainments we attended, but, no way was this something we wanted to do. We were much more interested in the common folks we met, and any excess money was given away to causes we believe in.

I think that this Petraeus thing is having power gone wrong. I kind of have the French take on this: public is public, and don't lift up that private page. But I do wonder about this Jill Kelly person. She and her husband and sister seem to embody the worst sort of greed. She ensnares.

My husband would never be ensnared by the baubles of surface beauty and the entree to opulent living. Neither would our current president.

But still, we have lost an excellent public servant and it makes me sad.