7/9/2021

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            The world is a whacky and wild place. Full of surprises & disappointments – joys & sorrows. You know this better than I, as your world has so much in it. In your 4 years as POTUS you will get to experience 10 lifetimes of ups & downs. To be honest, I’m not sure how you can stand it.

            Among the disappointments of the day are the uptick in CV cases in the rural pockets of the country, the end of any hope that someone will come out of Surfside alive, our sneaky retreat from Afghanistan & Myanmar’s failed state status. The thrill of the day is Zaila Avant-Garde’s (ZAG) Spelling Bee victory.

            The Afghan pull-out reminds me of Paul Simon’s song, about leaving your lover. “Sneak out the back, Jack…Just drop off the keys, Lee and get yourself free.” The point being, exiting a long-term relationship is never easy & the abandoned one feels betrayed. Our Friday late-night departure from Bagram is a blow to our military’s reputation, & I continue to worry about the girls & women in Afghanistan, but given that WAR IS NEVER THE ANSWER, I’m glad that we are withdrawing. I just wish the exit could have been more graceful. It’s not cool to take off leaving 3.5 million items behind.

            Did Jill get a chance to meet ZAG? That kid breaks the mold. Not only is she the first non-Asian champion since 2008 & has world records for dribbling basketballs, she’s also funny! She made a little joke about Bill Murray when spelling her championship word, “murraya.” Please invite her to the WH to celebrate all of her accomplishments. We need more folks like her.

            BYBS,