Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Personal is Political

I am not sure where I heard the statement that " the personal is political" so I can't properly credit the source.

I have had the opportunity the past couple of weeks to enter into the inner workings of both city and county politics from a very limited perspective. I have been a fly on the wall at several meetings and have tried to understand how it all works. I come away knowing more clearly what I don't know.

I have fallen prey to experiencing the process without being truly impacted or invested. I was reminded of this as I listened to the impassioned pleas of people affected by the flood at a recent city council meeting. I am dabbling in civic involvement at a time where people are literally fighting for their homes, their jobs and often their sense of dignity.

My lofty ideals and high minded thinking have very little to do with the homeowners who can't pay the contractors who have worked on their homes because jumpstart money has not come through. My pleas for patience and trust in the system can be naive and based on a certain detachment form the situation.

I hope to be more understanding in what people are actually going through, while still advocating that the process is complex and will take time.

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