I’m so pleased this week, to feature another in this series of musings on growing up in Pittsburgh and growing up with the Kerry campaign:

The Little House, Part 3: The Prayers From the Porch Swing
Rediscovering My Faith as a Call to Service

by Jessica Szabo

The first time I put on a Kerry campaign shirt, I reached into my jewelry box on a whim and grabbed a tiny gold necklace I’d been given years before, a pendant with Mary, the mother of Jesus, engraved in the center. The necklace was a high school graduation gift from my father. I wore it for a time when he gave it to me, but it had been hanging on a hook in my jewelry box since college, a time when I made several attempts to completely re-invent myself into something I never even wanted to be in an effort to fit in with one of the little cliques at the small school I attended.

At thirty-two I know I would have made more genuine friends if I had just been myself, but at nineteen and twenty I was lonely and a bit naïve. I never did anything truly dangerous, just plenty of silly things I would have been better off not doing. I’d spend all (more…)

This week, we received two wonderful stories from two excellent young writers, good enough to warrant their own entries. 

First, in honor of Independence Day (and you have to admit Iowans are known for being independent-minded!), newgeneration offers us this memory:

“Thank You, Iowa”

I wanted to make sure the first vote I cast in the Iowa caucus was a smart one, so when I started college in the fall of 2003, I went to see every presidential candidate I could. As the candidates continued to clarify their positions, I switched allegiances more times than I can count. By about four days before the caucuses, I finally had it narrowed down to two; the final deciding factor in Kerry’s favor was that his standing in the polls had suddenly taken a significant upswing, while the numbers for my other favorite candidate, Dick Gephardt, were slowly but steadily dropping. So, on caucus day, (more…)

We are fortunate to have a special Fourth of July salute to Teresa Heinz Kerry, another evocative Pittsburgh memory from Jessica Szabo:

The Little House Part 2: Little Touches of Pittsburgh

The little house 26 miles outside of Pittsburgh sits waiting for its copper pipes, re-claimed fixtures, and tankless water heater in what I can only imagine is a beautiful green Pennsylvania summer. I haven’t been home in a few years because of the cost of travel, and have had to rely on little touches of the Pittsburgh area to get me through: a few pounds of Nicholas coffee, some photos sent by relatives, the Post-Gazette online in the morning, (more…)

Today is the beginning of a new Wednesday feature here at John Kerry is My Hero.  Any stories or anecdotes or essays that you care to share about how John Kerry has affected your life will be published in the next Wednesday installment of Tales From the Kerryverse.  Whether it’s an account of a personal meeting or discussion you had with the Senator, what the campaign and his vision for America have meant to you, any story, large or small, funny or serious, as long as it’s positive, will be posted here (Kerry-related personal photos welcome, too!)  Leave your story as a comment on any post here, let me know it’s intended for Tales From the Kerryverse and how you want to be credited and then watch for it the very next Wednesday!

One of my favorite aspects of having learned more about John Kerry and his life and career is the enormous variety of people who have been inspired by him.  I would love to see stories from and about your families, friends, and kids and their adventures in the Kerryverse, too.  

For our first compilation, we have two wonderful stories.

Diane tells us about a chance meeting with the Senator:

I feel like I’ve told this story a million times, but it’s my favorite one.

Years ago - I’d say it must have been in about the late ’80’s - my family and I were strolling around Beacon Hill on a beautiful fall Sunday. We were walking down Beacon Street right near the Bull & Finch Pub, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a tall man passing who seemed familiar. I did a double take as I realized it was Senator Kerry. At the same time he looked around and smiled at me and said hi. I said hi and smiled back, and that was it. He came across as a little shy, but very friendly.

That tiny incident had a disproportionate effect on me. It taught me that all the garbage I’d read about him in the Globe and Herald was - well - garbage. It taught me not to believe everything I read in the papers. I knew that the kind of person I wanted representing me in the Senate was a man who would walk around and take the time to notice and interact with people on the street, one on one. The meetings I’ve had with him since have only reinforced that initial impression.

and Jessica has sent us this beautiful account of how work on the 2004 campaign and JK and THK’s environmental philosophy had a very tangible effect on her life:

The Little House by Jessica Szabo

The little house 26 miles outside of Pittsburgh was built as the garage to a row house, became a one bedroom home that housed my mother, her sister, and her parents, and years later, my parents and me. (more…)