After the run for VT House

Unexpected, just unexpected. Went to my local favorite Bobcat Cafe tonight for a hamburger. Surprised that at 6:30 so many seats were available at the bar on Friday night. Sat down next to a man I recognized and knew was friendly. We'd seen each other more than on a few occasions, but I didn't know his name until tonight I asked. He knew me, he said. The first thing he said to me was, “Hey! I voted for you.”

I replied sincerely, “Hey, thank you. I guess I let a few people down.”

“No, that's not the way it goes down,” he said, “ they didn't hear you. I heard you.”

“What did you hear?” I wondered.

“The urgency.”

I looked him over. Viewing from my 65 years of experience I figured him to be 69 or 70. I've come to recognize men who have been through military experiences and after telling him my age, asked him his. He is 80. Served on a submarine that spied on Russia.

“Yeah,” I said, “Urgency was key to my message. You're 80? Damn, you are incredible! Your handshake is awesome, and you are on top of shit!”

“Genetics. Look, I was impressed by how you dealt with that fall. You don't come through that unless you are a fighter. I followed your story when you went off that building, I followed you when you were in that wheelchair and and all that. You're amazing. Why did you decide to run for House, man?”

“I couldn't sleep. I just thought I had to say something where it might matter. If my pulpit was only going to be knee high, I was going to use it.”

By now it was noticeably louder and the bar stools were all taken and people were standing around and behind us. I'd ordered my burger and a gin and tonic and he ordered his second gin. He was incredibly sharp and facile in his speech.

“So what do you feel was your main message, the thing that you stood for?”

He was looking for substance.

“Really, it boiled down to the fact that what we wanted to do for education, for health care, for energy, for whatever, the four of us running were probably going to vote the same. The main message I wanted everybody to understand is that what is going on at the national level is affecting whatever it is we want to do here. That clean water, that Lake Champlain.....”

“All politics is local, right?” He interrupted.

“Exactly.”

“I heard that right away and couldn't agree more.”

“ Really? Thanks!” Then I talked about the mistakes I knew I'd made and how my work had affected the number of doors I could afford to knock on and so on.

“I am totally behind you,” he told me. “ You have to keep running”

“I don't know,” I said. “I just don't see the fire in others that I feel has to happen. I mean, right now! I think people think they can go about business as usual and everything will turn out. Maybe it will, but without that fire, it doesn't seem like it will.”

“You learned a lot right? You should keep at it. We... I … want you to keep at it.”

“But what if it's too late? I don't see how we can make it if we don't put up a huge blockade by THIS November. I mean, it has to be done now!”

“ Yeah. But you can only do what you can do. You run again in two years, I will help you. I totally got what you had to say and what you think you have to offer. It's good stuff. I want to help and I know there are others. So don't stop now.”

All I could say was “Wow. You know how to humble a guy”

“Aw shut up. Anybody who's been through what you have and come out like this gets my support.”

“And you sir, have all of mine. I can only imagine having the acuity that you have at 80. You've lifted me up at a time I didn't realize how much I needed it.”