If my life was a book, spread across pages for people to read, what would it say? Page after page filled with seconds, minutes, hours, days and years. But what would it really look like?

We tend to look at our lives based on chapters. We measure success by standards decided by our culture. We put titles on the chapters and then try to fill them with things that sound good or with ideas society will embrace.  So, is that still our life or at some point does the story start to sound like someone else’s?

We look back at our story’s beginning to try and figure out how it will end, failing to recognize that we are not the author but the co-author of this story. As we plot the next chapter, so that eleven is better than ten, we miss things. We overwrite and what can get lost are not necessarily the plot but the element of surprise. Surprise is the most interesting part of every story and yet when it comes to writing our own we prefer to know ahead of time what will happen. None of us really knows how our story will end or even take shape tomorrow and yet we try so hard to make it so.

Maybe it’s time to release our grip on the pen or in this case the computer screen. Perhaps the end of our story should not be based on how it began. Release the pen, open the story line and don’t allow those around you to feed or steal the plot.

We get one story you and I and we should write it not to impress or mimic what’s around us. Instead, we should give ourselves room to breath, be quiet, listen and remember we are not the lone author. This is a joint project. Now, go find out what the other half of the team sees and write it down.

The media is starting to talk about my race for Secretary of State. It’s talking about how much money I’ve raised. That’s the headline in the City/Region Section of the Register Guard. Yesterday there was an article in the Associated Press that talked about this place we all hang out together. That’s right, the media is talking about our blog.

It’s not a bad thing and it’s a very expected part of the process. Remember, I was part of the media for 23 years so I get it.

I have to say, it’s interesting to be on this side of the lens. In today’s Guard article they talk about how a big portion of my fundraising money is coming from the Timber Industry. As Secretary of State I will serve on the State’s Land Board. As a reporter I always covered Timber Issues with balance and that is why the industry would like to see me in this position. Our state lands need to be managed to protect and to prosper. The money raised off the management of these lands helps fund education in Oregon. I’m also getting a lot of money from farmers and agriculture and from people like you. 

Gosh, this is starting to sound like a stump speech and for that I am sorry.

The other reason the Timber Industry, Agriculture, Business People and a lot of others I might add, would like to see me win this position is redistricting. In two years we’ll do another census in Oregon. The Secretary of State could end up in the position of redrawing state house and senate seats. The last time this was done it was done based on partisanship. In other words it was done unfairly to give one party an unfair advantage over the other. I think that’s wrong. If that responsibility comes to me, I would not go in and try to give Republicans and unfair advantage either. I would redraw those lines based on “Communities of Interest”. That’s the way it is supposed to be done.

Those backing me financially know that I’ve always been fair in my work. They know that they aren’t going to get an unfair advantage over anyone. With me they will have someone who will put the politics behind him and do what’s fair.I have a history of listening, not just to my party but to everyone. I did that in my job as a Journalist and will do the same thing as Secretary of State.

One interesting note from the article shows that my opponent has raised almost as much from union leadership, as I have from all my supporters combined.

Dancer Total $139,508

Opponents Union Total $135,191