I bet most baseball players feel embarrassed striking out.
"I should've let that ball go. "
"I could've focused more."
"I would've hit it if I didn't have a headache."
Should've. Would've. Could've.
Those words make me cringe.
"If things just had been different."
When I was quitting drinking the group I belonged to talked about "awfulizing" things. We over dramatize and irrationalize. And that's why most of us don't move out of our comfort zone.
But all baseball players know that you can't get a hit if you aren't willing to strike out... A lot.
Failing is embarrassing. It's embarrassing that my signatures didn't validate.
But fortunately I've been blessed with a very short term memory. By this time next week I won't even remember what it felt like hearing the bad news. Embarrassment is not a long term feeling.
And as many of you have so kindly stated: Very few people, if any, look down on someone who tried to take a chance.
With that, I'll draw my mayoral aspirations to a close. For now. Season 1 of this series is over.
I will say one last time: it is an unjust law that requires 6 times more validation to run for mayor as one party versus another party. If you aren't a Democrat or Republican you are 16% as important. An answer is nonpartisan primaries. This happens in other states and can happen in Ohio.
That said, this isn't my cause. I know of at least a few attorneys who read this that feel this is an unjust law. This could be your cause.
What I hope this on going series will consistently inspire in all of us is that there is much to be done in our world, country, state, city and home.
I believe the purpose of life is to be a force of light and good.
We all have something we can do to push that purpose further ahead. Even the smallest act towards that goal is great.
Maybe your contribution is to make Ohio primaries nonpartisan.
Maybe your contribution is to be kind and patient to your fellow drivers.
Maybe your contribution is to play a video game with your kid.
These acts together change the world. We go from feeling betrayed to feeling loved.
That's huge.
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