So, out of the blue I get a Facebook message from a school friend of mine. She has been involved in several community organizations in the past and I've literally known her for 20 years. Not sure if she's been reading the blog or not but she sends me this message and it reads:
"Still waiting for you to run for office-you would be great for the community and have got what it takes, we'd love to help!"
Now, we don't talk a lot, but I did send her a message a month or so back asking her a few questions about a business idea I had. I'm not sure if it was the business questions I had for her or if something sparked in her mind about me, but it certainly got my brain going, even if it was just for kicks. After a little bit of thought and letting the idea roll around in my head, I politely messaged her back and let her know that although I was flattered, that I probably had to many skeletons in my closet to run for any type of elected office. Her response:
Bankruptcy, affairs, financial crimes, unpaid taxes--these are the things that keep you out of the running and I don't think apply to your closet. You have the most important piece of the puzzle, name and face recognition. If you want to think about it or explore the options locally or in the state legislature let me know!! Come on bro, do it for the children. . .
Well, I can certainly check off the first four items on the list. None of those apply to me. Truth be told, it's always been something I've been interested in. From middle school on, I was always involved in school politics. I was student council president my senior year of high school, and have held the highest position in every group I've ever been involved in; whether it was Boy Scouts, other school organizations or as a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity at WSU. I was a political science major in college before switching to secondary education, but my emphasis was in history, speech and debate. Politics, local office. . .the idea has always been there.
For the last year, it seem like I've been in a rut. If you read the blog regularly, you're probably at least a little bit familiar with my plight and droll of life in the suburbs. One of the main reasons for writing the blog was to have an outlet for everyday occurrences that I saw, that either puzzled me or that I found comical. I suppose change can come about through writing, but it would seem much easier to make changes through action? Is running for elected office that action which can bring about change?
Another good friend of mine, whom I haven't seen in at least 15 years, but who I keep in touch with through email and social media, has also sent me a few messages lately urging me to get out there and find that outlet that seems to be missing in my life. Is politics the answer? City politics? State government? School board? maybe something else. I see a lot of problems in society, and I have to say that I have opinions one way or another on all of them. I'm not sure my ideas are correct or even noteworthy, but maybe others would?
Food for thought. My brain is clicking now. The process has begun. What do you think?
You need to be passionate about your ideas before you can inspire passion in others.
ReplyDeleteiknow. trust me ther's lots of things i"m pasionate about. just not putting out there what it is quite yet.
Delete1. "Why did you decide to get into politics?" Run for office and you will need to have an answer. 'It's something I've always been interested in' is not going to impress a newspaper editorial board.
ReplyDelete2. Ever watch The Wire? There's a scene where an aspiring City Councilman has to sit in a tiny office with a phone and a list of like 100 people he has to call to ask for money. Could you do that?
3. You have the name recognition in Wichita but I don't know how anyone could recognize your face behind that beard.
1. i understand that stanton. just trying to get some creative stuf out there.
ReplyDelete2. love the wire, and unfortunately whether it was recruiting judges for debate or making rush calls, i've sat on the phone for hours and made thousands of calls.
3. the beard is gone. the kids shaved it off when we came back from trout fishing in colorado.
btw, you hear they sold a bit of quivera off?