WELCOME TO THE GOOD DISTRICT

Meet Mary.  In 2009, she was a 29 year old working political professional living in D.C.  She had a track record of moving from job to job, in search of her glass slipper equivalent of a career.  Her most recent gig?  Fundraising director for a local state party by day, development consultant for an A-list celebrity by night.  Combined salary had finally reached into the six figures. It was only a matter of time before her Jeep was upgraded to a luxury vehicle.  Her shoes upgraded to Louboutins, her handbags upgraded to Gucci, and her tithes upgraded to ‘very generous’ at church.  Mary looked into the future, and it looked bright.  She knew she was close to living the Chocolate City Dream.

One year later.  2010.  Age 30.  Mary is unemployed and starting over.  She has become a political cliche, in a town full of them. Burned out from the long hours, the imbalance between her work and life, and a growing dissatisfaction in a career that was supposed to mean something.  To make a difference.  But appeared to fail to do either.  So rather than play another disappointing round in the chess match called politics, Mary bowed out.  She starting journaling, and decided to pursue her previously unspoken dream of being a writer.

The question is, does the 30 year old, burned out, career changing woman, really exist?  Or is she just an urban legend?  A story told over drinks about the girl, who listened to too much Oprah, and tossed her blackberry into the Potomac.  In a town consumed with working hard, playing hard, and guest lists, are our residents really willing to leave it all, for the sake of pursuing some key items on their Bucket List?  I mean, honestly, it is a recession.

In reality, I am Mary (well, my real name is Molly).  I left my job a year ago, and decided I was going to write that book after all. Now, nearly seven months after I left the only career I have ever known, I still haven’t made much headway on the book, but I am happier, and more present than ever before.

What about you D.C.?  What are those secret dreams?  Those buried goals that you daydream about?  Every Sunday, I hope you will share them with me as I write about my D.C.  About your D.C.  Welcome to The Good District.

Molly Hill is a former political fundraiser.  She worked in Blue States, for Blue Candidates, for the Blue Party. She is currently recovering from said experience, and blogging everyday about her attempt to write the Great American Novel.  She can be found at www.thegooddistrict.com

Posted by Molly Hill on Feb 28 2010. Filed under Columns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.