i have officially arrived.

my day started very early with a much needed boot buffing at the grand central terminal shoe-shiner stand. yes, like back in the 1930s. they're still there. so it was me, plus 6 very well-heeled and spiffy businessmen. needless to say i did not fit in AT ALL - however, i feel this was an omen for the rest of the day, in which i actually felt like a real, official, working person of very, very minor importance.

you see, it's the 20th anniversary of the convention on the rights of the child, the most widely ratified treaty in existence (only the US and somalia have not signed on - how often are those two countries put in the same category?). in commemoration, UNICEF is of course hosting a plethora of art exhibitions and events and all sorts of loveliness. lucy liu was here yesterday. (i didn't see her.)

but today! it was the official commemoration, held in the main UN building, with ban ki-moon chairing and speaking. a few co-workers and i walked across 1st avenue to the sectariat, placed our little badges on all the security devices to open all the doors and barriers between the street and the interior vaults of the united nations. that alone made me feel worthy of sitting there getting my boots shined with investment bankers and the like.

the event itself was mixed: i have to say... ban ki-moon? hm. the most non-charismatic, quiet, and low-key person in power i've ever seen. he very quietly came into the chamber, gave a very very plain almost wikipedia-like speech on how the CRC is important, and then quietly exited out the side door. now maybe this is a good thing? that he's not super pompous and self-aggrandizing? but really - i'd like to see SOME conviction in what he's saying. we are talking about human rights violations against children here. could there be a more important topic?

but on the up side, the event also had multiple youth activists from around the world give little speeches, which were heart-breakingly moving and inspiring. kids in their teens who have come from kenyan slums and brazilian flavelas and actually mobilized change in their community and who pleaded for everyone in the room to not only talk about violence against children, child labor, trafficking, early marriage etc - but actually DO something. they should be at every meeting. to keep us from getting dull in our commitments and forgetting that these things have profound meaning.

oh, and did i mention that i actually had to sport the classic UN-ear-translator during various speeches given in languages i don't speak? yup. amazing.

it was actually a fantastic day, one in which i felt proud to work where i work, and one in which i felt inspired to pick myself up and be more impassioned in completing assignments which could potentially change the lives of children. (if even in a very, very minute way.)

and to close, a picture of new, darling little maggie, held by dear friend and honorary aunt brittany for your enjoyment (sorry i don't have a close-up!) :

(p.s... are my blogposts too lengthy? too many words? also - are they too self-aggrandizing? is that the point of a blog? do i need to take a lesson from ban ki-moon? in any and all cases, sorry - please tell me if you could care less about any of this stuff and i'll shorten. <3)