The Lucky 13 Things I Learned in the School of Political Hard Knocks

Where the lessons were free, the integrity was negotiable, and the children paid the price.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this election season. Probably more than I should have.

And while I’ve certainly learned a few things, some funny, some frustrating, and some genuinely heartbreaking, I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I certainly don’t pretend to have gotten everything right myself.

But this experience shook me more than I expected.

Not because of who won or lost, but because of some of what I witnessed along the way.

I’ve been around long enough to know that politics, whether on a national stage or in a small town, isn’t always pretty. And I’m not naive enough to believe that one person, one election, or one Facebook post is going to change that.

Still, I can’t help wondering whether we’ve become so accustomed to certain behaviors that we’ve stopped questioning them altogether.

So, in the spirit of finding a little humor in some rather uncomfortable lessons, here are my Lucky 13 things I learned in the School of Political Hard Knocks.

The Lucky 13

13. I learned that people’s memories are short, but their attention spans are shorter

12. I learned that everyone wants what’s best for the town. The fine print? Only if it’s their version of the town.

11. I learned that a teacher can move mountains for their students, but it’s awfully hard when the people above them keep building new ones.

10. I learned that some battles are best fought behind the scenes. Otherwise, you risk becoming a supporting character in someone else’s “heroic” narrative.

9.  I learned that sometimes the problem isn’t who’s sitting at the table. It’s the table itself, and the people who keep deciding who gets a seat.

8.  I learned that some people don’t actually want a conversation. They want an audience that knows when and how loud to applaud.

7.  I learned that the truth isn’t necessarily what happened. It’s whatever version best serves the agenda.

6.  I learned that some people are so busy kissing the ring, they’ve forgotten how to stand up straight.

5.  I learned that some people are willing to sacrifice their principles on the altar of relevance, provided the applause is loud enough to make it worthwhile.

4.  I learned that integrity, equity, and decency make wonderful campaign slogans. Apparently, practicing them throughout the campaign is optional.

3.  I learned that if something on this list makes you uncomfortable, perhaps the question isn’t who wrote it, but why it struck a nerve in the first place.

2.  I learned that apparently there are exceptions to every principle, including the ones we teach our children should never be compromised.

1.  I learned that the most dangerous moment in any cause is when people stop asking whether something is right and start asking whether it will help them win.

One Final Lesson

I don’t write any of this believing that I’m somehow above the very things I’m questioning. I’m human. I have my own blind spots, my own frustrations, and undoubtedly my own moments when emotion gets the better of judgment.

But I do believe we have to be willing to examine ourselves, especially when we’re asking others to trust us with something as important as their children’s futures.

I know I’m not going to change the nature of politics, nor do I have any desire to. But as someone who spends her days helping children become the best versions of themselves, it’s simply not in my nature to give up on people’s capacity to learn, grow, and do better.

And maybe that’s the point.

Maybe someone will read one of these lessons and stop for a moment. Maybe they’ll recognize something they hadn’t considered before. Maybe the next time they’re faced with a choice between what’s convenient and what they know is right, they’ll think twice.

And maybe they’ll make a different choice.

That might not change an election. It might not change a system. But it would mean something.

Because I’ve also learned that you can love a place with your whole heart and still have it break yours.

And despite everything, I still now and will forever believe that the EB community we love, and ESPECIALLY the children growing up in it, are worth expecting better from ourselves.

All of us. Myself included.

-Rachel, Eyes on EB