I took a break from stewing about cover letters yesterday so I could stress-eat pretzels and watch a soothing documentary about Robert Kennedy that I started ages ago and never finished.

I watched President Lyndon B. Johnson’s announcement that he would not be running for president again. He surprised everyone by stepping aside at the end of March, 1968.

Well. Now we’ve had a sitting president do this same thing in July of an election year. I guess I really am living through history.

I was touched and delighted by the speech Bobby Kennedy gave in Indianapolis after delivering news of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. He quoted Aeschylus. Aeschylus!!! Can you picture any politicians today quoting Ancient Greek poetry in a speech? I want to live long enough to see this come back into style.

He also brought his dog on the campaign trail with him, at least in Oregon. This is another campaign strategy I think needs to make a comeback.

Anyway, I’m not sure why I thought this documentary was the right one to watch in the middle of my little emotional breakdown. Half an hour later the Kennedys arrived in California for the primary. I threw my hands up and declared “I’m out.”

Some days I hate knowing what’s going to happen.

(Side note: Apparently both of Aeschylus’s sons also became tragic poets. What a fun family that must have been.)