For the Party

Pandosy Street
Kelowna, British Columbia

Moving desks. Installing computers. Putting up shelving. Making a functional office space out of an empty building. Hanging political placards. Not the usual stuff for the making of epic holiday memories but certainly a good way to gain a greater awareness of the political process – even if in another country. The day was given to setting up the campaign office for a Federal candidate for Member of Parliament.

There is something inspiring about seeing young law students, part-time undergraduates, and grandmothers coming together to volunteer their efforts to launch a campaign. So often we think of the political process as being about candidates seeking self-advancement, yet there are always hundreds, if not thousands of other people who give countless hours to make someone else successful. This is inspiring to experience and I really want to be around such people. My view of the political process is much more positive, having now experienced it more fully than just watching it on Fox News while on the stair climber at the Y. Working with a real live candidate and seeing that she really wants to make the country better is a great antidote for the cynicism I have often had about the political process.