Campaigning is ego booster and lesson in humility

Thanks to the losers in last week's election. Thank you to those candidates who put themselves out there at election time.

In elections, there are more winners than just those with the highest vote count; there are winners who ran for office and tried, citizens who worked for them, and all who voted. It shows there are those who commit themselves to public service and have the courage to run for an office; and everyone should try it. It's one thing to campaign for a candidate and knock on doors for them, and quite another thing to put yourself out there and ask for someone's vote. Thus, a special thank you to those who lost.

It's an adventure in risk-taking as people turn you down; or it is the joy of knocking on the next door and finding people enthusiastically willing to vote for you and even put up a lawn sign. Local elections are grassroots democracy at its best. What keeps candidates going is their belief that they can make a difference. And, indeed, they can.

For those who lost, there is the satisfaction that you gave it your best and found friends you never knew you had. I know. I was one of the losers. The process of running for local office involves the volunteers, the door-knocking, the lawn signs, and the campaign fundraisers with the dozens of leftover hot dogs. One can take satisfaction in having served the community and involving neighbors and the public in having a say in their government.

When I ran for city council years ago, I met neighbors young and old; some welcomed me into their homes and even offered cookies; some wanted to know which church I attended; one remembered working on the railroad with my dad over 50 years ago; some said I was too short; and some quickly shut the door. Going door to door, you see what daily life is for many people. I found elderly widows who literally lived on bread and water in order to pay their taxes and take care of their yards. It was a reminder that they were the ones who built our communities and tried to live with dignity. I found out that the greatest and best way to get a vote was not to talk, but to listen.

I even found out that campaigning was an occupational hazard. I developed carpal tunnel syndrome from pounding my own lawn sign stakes in the ground and suffered a knee injury from walking up hills and climbing stairs — both of which later required surgery. While there were frustrating moments, such as when our cardboard signs curled up after the first rainstorm, there were rejuvenating ones when we started over and neighbors came to help as we silk-screened lawn signs in the driveway.