Just over a week ago, I pored over the photo on thestar.com like a teenage girl.
The photo was taken at Adam Giambrone’s launch for mayor. His partner, Sarah, was right by his side, gazing up at him with pride. The videos I watched showed the same thing.
I poured over these photos trying to put myself in this woman’s shoes. I mean my name is Sarah, too. We’re about the same age. We both have glasses. I have a set of pearls (though more than likely the ones she wore that night are real).
I tried to imagine being this woman. To be this young and be the politician’s partner or wife. To go to events and smile and stand next to the candidate. What if he became mayor? What would be required of her then? I know that Mayor of Toronto is not the same as President of the United States, but every politician’s partner is part of an image.
It made me wonder if I could be that image. If my partner decided to run for office, would I be able to fill the role of the dutiful politican’s partner? Am I pretty enough? Would I have enough confidence to stand next to him for photo ops and speeches?
I poured over that photo of Giambrone not because I envied this woman, but because I wondered what was running through her head, and if she had those doubts too when Giambrone decided to run for mayor.
And then Tuesday morning happened.
As news broke about Giambrone’s alleged affair with a 20-year-old student (and we thought that video of his was bad), I find myself empathizing with Sarah McQuarrie even more.What was she thinking now? What was she feeling?
Whenever these politician sex scandals happen, all that’s talked about is the politician and his mistress. His mistress is given all the air time, his partner (usually wife) is left silent. I can’t even imagine what this woman is going through this morning.
Suddenly, those photos from last week don’t look as glamorous to me anymore.
Putting myself in her shoes
Just over a week ago, I pored over the photo on thestar.com like a teenage girl.
The photo was taken at Adam Giambrone’s launch for mayor. His partner, Sarah, was right by his side, gazing up at him with pride. The videos I watched showed the same thing.
I poured over these photos trying to put myself in this woman’s shoes. I mean my name is Sarah, too. We’re about the same age. We both have glasses. I have a set of pearls (though more than likely the ones she wore that night are real).
I tried to imagine being this woman. To be this young and be the politician’s partner or wife. To go to events and smile and stand next to the candidate. What if he became mayor? What would be required of her then? I know that Mayor of Toronto is not the same as President of the United States, but every politician’s partner is part of an image.
It made me wonder if I could be that image. If my partner decided to run for office, would I be able to fill the role of the dutiful politican’s partner? Am I pretty enough? Would I have enough confidence to stand next to him for photo ops and speeches?
I poured over that photo of Giambrone not because I envied this woman, but because I wondered what was running through her head, and if she had those doubts too when Giambrone decided to run for mayor.
And then Tuesday morning happened.
As news broke about Giambrone’s alleged affair with a 20-year-old student (and we thought that video of his was bad), I find myself empathizing with Sarah McQuarrie even more.What was she thinking now? What was she feeling?
Whenever these politician sex scandals happen, all that’s talked about is the politician and his mistress. His mistress is given all the air time, his partner (usually wife) is left silent. I can’t even imagine what this woman is going through this morning.
Suddenly, those photos from last week don’t look as glamorous to me anymore.