When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. –Persian Proverb
I remember nights when I’d hear of a meteor storm and the weather man would tell us to go out of town, away from the light, to see the universe in action more clearly. I live in the country. I can still feel those evenings, sitting in the dark on the trampoline with my family, watching shooting stars overhead. We could see them so clearly because where we live it gets dark at night. When it’s that black outside, the tiniest light shines brightest.
But if you take this idea a bit deeper it can really open some stuff up for you. Darkness can also refer to a time in our lives when things may not appear to be going well. When those moments come, we’d do anything for a little light to illuminate the dark spots and bring some vision to our lives. But sometimes, unfortunately, those lights don’t shine. Sometimes it has to become very dark, dark enough, for the wee bit of light that’s out there to illuminate anything.
We all have those times in our lives. At least I hope I’m not the only one. I’m not afraid of the dark; I just like it best when I see things more clearly. Perhaps that’s not the way life is supposed to be. Sometimes you have to step out of the light and get into the dark, to bring back your focus. If you get too used to looking at the bright spots, you may forget how to focus when darkness sets in.
When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.
I like that.
I just got an email from a young man who didn’t know I was running for office but saw my mug in the Voters’ Pamphlet. 22-years ago,his dad was one of those people who really helped me at a time in my life when I wasn’t sure what to do with my career. I met him while working in Coos Bay. I remember he worked for the City of Coos Bay and when I was having a bad day I’d head to the water treatment plant to have a chat. We would talk about all kinds of things. Our talks, as I recall, centered on life, death, our jobs and my new found faith. At that point in my life it was more like my lack of faith.
I’d forgotten about those days. I’d forgotten about the impact he’d made on my life more than 20-years ago. He died suddenly, just a few months after I left Coos Bay to work in Eugene. He was a young man at the time.
To open my email and find a note from his son Joshua Tanner was enough to floor me. How often do you get to explain to a young man, who was a kid at the time of his father’s death, that his father made a huge investment and impact on your life.
I paid one thousand dollars to put my information in the voter’s pamphlet. I thought that was a lot of money. Now I think it was a fine investment. Joshua thanks for the letter. You’re dad was an amazing man.
Last night was like stepping back in time. I was in Roseburg, speaking to the Douglas County Republican Central Committee. It was a night for the candidates to come give a three-minute stump speech. The Douglas County Annex is inside an old church. So you walk in, there are folks at the table checking you in. You walk into the sanctuary and all these people are sitting in folding chairs as if you’d just stepped back to an old town council meeting.
I always get a little nervous when I do these sorts of talks. However, I must say I’m starting to really enjoy it. These are the Republican Activists. Yes, there are Republican Activists. I think sometimes we think only Democrats or Pacific Party members can be activists. I’m learning that’s simply not true.
They start the meeting off with a prayer and the flag salute. They vote in new members and delegates to the upcoming Republican Convention. Then, I was called up for my three-minute stump speech.
This is a group of people that is willing to listen and wants to hear what you really believe. So you tell them.
When I leave events like that one last night I know why I’m doing this.
People know it’s time for change.
They know business as usual will not work.
All the way home from Roseburg I was on a bit of a high.
It’s good to see people involved in their community.
It’s good to see people who still care about the process and what’s right.
It’s simply good to spend an evening with folks who still believe it can change.
My day was planned, I had things to do, I have business to take care of and then, at the last moment Jake my 20-year old comes downstairs sick. Now, at 20, yes, he can take care of himself. But still he’s my kid. So, I give him some of the strong cough medicine and send him to bed. I headed off to work and the whole time I’m thinking, I hope he’s okay.
Remember when our kids were young and they needed us to wipe their noses and pick them up after they fell. I remember how good it felt to be needed. But remember, I’ve got a busy, long day that ends with a trip to Roseburg tonight. Oh, I forgot to mention, my wife, Jakes mom, is out of town for two days.
I called him once. No answer. I thought, I hope I didn’t over-medicate the kid. I’ll cut this short because the guys here in the office tell me I talk too much. So, here’s what happened. I went home, stopped by the store, picked up some soup (the good kind no stars) and some Gatorade. I took it home, put it in the fridge, asked Jake if I could make it for him. He said no. As I turned to walk out of his room Jake said, Thanks Dad.
I felt like he was a little kid again. I felt like I was a dad again. (You know what I mean). It’s so nice to be needed by your kids. It’s also nice when you can put your day aside to make room to be Jakes dad again.
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