LoveUbecause … you want to serve with honour!

I remember quite clearly sitting at the table of my future mother-in-law’s kitchen close to 30 years ago. We didn’t know each other that well. Actually I don’t believe I was engaged to her daughter at the time, so perhaps it is remarkable that she didn’t discourage my future wife  from ever seeing me again - at least based on my silly sense of humour. I don’t  recall if we were both sipping morning tea, or perhaps she was busying herself about the kitchen as she was wont to do, but whatever the activity, she was trying to make polite conversation.

“So what do you think you will do when you are finished school ?”  “D” asked quite innocently.

“I want to be King!” I declared confidently, thinking myself very funny with a twist on a reference to a Monty Python movie. It all had to do with King Arthur, Camelot and such, and a character trying to convince his father that he really doesn’t want to be king, but would rather sing. Being a music student, I amused myself,  but “D” having no clue what I was on about,  paused, looked at me a bit quizzically and moved on to some potentially less troubling line of questioning.

In any event, with an aversion to developing carpal tunnel syndrome from all that waving, the weighty decisions on who to  toss into  the Tower of London, or more likely, the fact I don’t possess a single gene remotely linked to nobility,  I don’t think being King was ever really in the cards … nor in all seriousness would I want it to be!

Leadership is complicated and can be very stressful. I know so, because since I grew up – at least I would like to think so anyway -  I have been there. Some years ago, as a leader of a community organization, I quickly learnt that getting anything significant accomplished at the political level often involves jumping through a variety of hoops, including playing politics, making compromises and concessions while remaining steadfast about not betraying your own principles, rallying community and political support and most of all, never straying from the belief that what you were trying to accomplish was important and right  - even when there were some dead set against your goals.  It “ain’t easy” as they say.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I can be a little cynical at times, especially when it comes to politicians and politics. With all the election coverage, both Canadian and American, over the last couple of years, the back pedalling on commitments and promises when convenient, the “what I really meant to says”, the “yes, he may have supported me, but I really don’t know him that wells”  and variety of sex and corruption scandals being given way too much time on television news channels, who wouldn’t be! We have been inundated with it, particularly on “slow news days”. At times I feel like I am in Punxsutawney in Bill Murray’s movie, Ground Hog Day – it just repeats over and over and over again!

But for all those who see me as cynical, I do want to tell you, I did learn something very important through my own leadership experience. I take very much to heart and keep very much on the forefront of thought when trying to wade through all the political polls, statistics, scandals and assorted  associated nonsense, that there are some very good politicians out there! I know some, met some, and got to work with some who refreshingly, and simply, just  really care about their community. They worked hard to support me and the cause of those who worked with me. Some had the moral fortitude to change their minds in favour of what we were trying to accomplish, sometimes even at the cost of losing future votes, when we convinced them what we were  proposing was right for the community.

We, as a society, seem to have a great propensity to dwell on the negative when  it comes to politicians. We surely look forward to the next corruption scandal, as  judging from the number of times a news clip of an accused scurrying like a scared rabbit from the pursuing press is played over and over on the news channels that rely on our viewership to survive, we must enjoy the chase - even before he has had his “day in court”.

We “tut-tut” and simultaneously relish the salacious details of a wayward politician’s sexual malfeasance. - applaud a tumble from grace  with the enthusiasm reserved for rumours of a Hollywood starlet “forgetting”  to wear panties and later figuratively, and thankfully not literally,  falling off the wagon.

More commonly we are assailed with the views of the disingenuous  yammering on negatively about solid, thoughtful proposals of others for their own political gain, or in pursuit of the rise of  their own star on the chart of radical, political punditry.

There is certainly nothing wrong with political debate, but so often it seems to be more about the sound bites and “sounding off” than the substance, the negativity over the genuine concern. Frankly, as a format , I think it is getting stale and am not sure why there is such an appetite for it. I am sure a lot of politicians would agree with me.

I can very well imagine any politician and especially the new President, waking up on some mornings to come and possibly regretting their aspiration to be, “king”, president, governor, city councillor, or what have you.

By all accounts, throughout the world, there is a new enthusiasm for the political leadership in the US. There is a remarkable chance for everyone to embrace the coming years with a new optimism and hope, even in dark economic times. We probably have unrealistic expectations, but let’s not hammer them with negativity for the sake of being “political”,  even as the reality sets in and once again we realise that the vision of  Camelot is closer to a fairy tale then history – it doesn’t mean that the world cannot be a better place!

Fewer step into the political arena than should for good reason. Even though, as the public, we constantly complain about “overpaid” politicians – yep, there are some – mostly they work ridiculously long hours, put up with a plethora of constituents who would try the patience of Mother Theresa and many  are derided for another’s political gain when, truly, they believe they have the good of their communities at heart.

There is nothing wrong with trying to keep politicians honest about their commitments, or offering up a constructive critique on performance, but they are people and guess what,  they really do have a right to change their minds - just like you and me - and not to be taken to task for realising that they were wrong before – isn’t that a quality that should be applauded and not discouraged?

There are some simple truths. There will always be politics in politics. There will, unfortunately, always be some bad, corrupt and dishonest politicians and those who make decisions based purely on their prospects for advancement, or re-election, but on balance, the good politicians will far outnumber the bad, particularly if we encourage them to serve,  instead of giving them every reason not to at every turn …

but mostly, LoveUbecause …   there are still many,  who want to serve with honour, are qualified to serve and have the energy to serve, and at times, as witnessed by the estimated 1.8 million people who attended  Barack Obama’s inauguration in Washington, that can be nothing short of awe inspiring!

“A” the “O” in LVE!

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Posted in Politics, Uncategorized
Tags: Barack, honor, honour, inspiration, love, Obama, politicians, Politics, president, public service, service