Election Words

I want to take a couple of minutes this morning to talk about what I’ve learned by running for Monroe County Legislature these past 9 months. For those of you who don’t know, I ran in the 10th district of Pittsford and East Rochester, the area where I live. I didn’t win. I lost by 9% points to my opponent, a 9 year veteran and majority leader.

It was an amazing experience. I met thousands of people as I went door to door in my district. I listened to people’s complaints, dreams and hopes. I spoke French to a few people. I even met a dog named “Nixon,” a poodle whom I met personally when his owner learned who I was. It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of work. It had a lot of highs as I felt our momentum growing the final days of the campaign. It had one big low Tuesday night when my daughter gave me the bad news as she read off the numbers from the internet.

I have had a day to reflect on the experience. I’m glad I did it. I might do it again. In my life, I have the opportunity to turn only one thing around overnight—myself. Society as a whole, my family, my friends, all of those take time. They turn around when they’re ready to turn around. In my race, as in so many other things in life, it is not the result that matters, it is the process. It is the journey, not the destination. I have learned more from my disappointments in life than I have from my successes. That doesn’t mean I would mind more successes.

Finally, the thing that I have learned that has meant the most to me is that I am loved by way more people than I deserve. For me, it is difficult sometimes to let that love in and to realize that it is sincere, but when I do feel it, it is possible for me to turn around and love others the same way. It seems to me the great religions of the world have been built on that truth. Thank you for your love and your support, and consider running for something when you’re able.