Stories from the Campaign Trail

I spent two hours going door to door last night, but I only managed to get to two houses.

At the second house I went to, an older gentleman and his wife were out in the carport, enjoying the weather. So, I walked up and made my typical introduction (hi, I'm running for County Commission here in the Fourth District, etc). He immediately asked me who I was going to vote for in the presidential election. I got to talking about my whole voting history, which led into us talking about work (he drove a tractor-trailer for 50 years), retirement, health, work ethics, hobbies (he gleams up tractors for tractor pulls), crime, education, immigration, children, and (I swear I'm not exaggerating) the meaning of life.

By the time it was dark, we both knew each other as well as most relatives. It was a great way to spend an evening. Not as productive as I'm used to from a campaign perspective, but it was a moment to stop and recognize how much you miss in the quick door-to-door process. Lives are complicated. Goodness knows mine is, too. The capacity of people to live with their daily challenges (say, battling with the contractor that messed up paving your driveway) and still be active and involved in community issues is a great testament to the endless energy some people have for making where they live a better place for all.

So, to my new friend, this post is for you.