It's another rainy day. It was hard to get out of bed this morning. Funny, the lure of laundry and the need to vacuum did not entice me to get moving. Then I remembered the oatmeal bread. The thought of a slice of toast and a fresh cup of coffee did the trick.
I may need to bake more bread.
For I will need sustenance as I retool, the perfect word for my new mission ~ to reorganize to meet new or different needs or conditions.
I learned after last week's election that the write-in campaign was directed specifically at me. We thought it was about the new land use ordinance, which passed with a healthy majority at town meeting. No, it turns out that it was a campaign against me, by name, in my bid for a seat on the select board.
Why?
1) I have not lived here all my life.
Well, I moved here as soon as I could.
2) I am a Democrat.
Well, I was born that way.
I guess it's a good thing that this information about me is out in the open. Not that the whole town doesn't know which house I live in, or that it's not obvious from the stickers on my car which way my politics lean.
It has been an important lesson for me because while I thought I was being civic-minded and open to other opinions, some people made up their minds about me before they even met me. They didn't like what they thought they knew about me.
I often worry what people think about me, and this certainly has been an obstacle in my path. There are some things I can't keep making detours around if I want to go forward.
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7 comments:
Sharon,
I can feel your discouragement, and understand why you'd feel shell-shocked. To begin with, a campaign takes a lot out of a person, even in the best of circumstances. You need time to rest and be good to yourself. That said, I know what you mean about feeling "pre-judged" ... no matter how old we are, it hurts and hits below the belt. Wishing you peace.
You definitely gave it your all. When Cindy mentions campaigns taking a lot out of a person, it makes me realize how much of yourself you put out there for scrutiny. That takes much strength, and is an accomplishment in itself. You deserve a little time off now!
I understand feeling judged unfairly, but you lost by very few votes, so many people did see the real you and your concern for the community.
Sharon, I feel for you. It was disappointing, because you wanted to do something positive for your community. Even though you didn't win the vote count, I think you showed a lot of class, so you can hold your head high. And please take good care of yourself right now.
Sharon, I just wanted to add one more comment. Despite what happened, your community will be different because you chose to run. Your positive presence in your community, just by itself, is a statement.
Sharon- you make a difference in the world just being here! Rainy days are meant for staying in bed once in a while. It isn't easy to break into the good ole boys/locals club in a small town- be kind to yourself please. It's only human to be so disappointed and have others be so disappointing.
Wow, I admire you for undertaking that endeavor! I live in Austin which is a very activist city meaning people care and they participate. And sometimes it gets heated up.
What I've learned is that it's the airing of different viewpoints and the fact that people like you care enough to put their viewpoints out that makes us such a special city. I know you wish the outcome had been different and that there is probably some hurt mixed in, but you've exposed people in your community to new thoughts. That has an impact whether you can see it now or not.
So, keep being you, keep being active. That's all you can do, people are going to do what they do and usually it has NOTHING to do with you and everything to do with their programming.
All is well.
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