Let's Get Political... No, Let's Get Physical...

This isn't a post telling you who to vote for. It's a post challenging all of us...including me...to think deeper about leadership, community, and our own responsibility. If you're looking for a party endorsement, you're going to be disappointed. 

If you're willing to think, grab a cup of coffee and keep reading.

Y'all, it's primary season and county election time around here, and let me tell you something...

Election season brings out people's true colors.

It brings out the best in people who are willing to listen, learn, ask questions, and grow.

It also brings out the rough and tumble in people who never make it past the surface. They pick a side, memorize a slogan, share a meme, and call it "research."

Now let's get to the question everyone seems to care about.

"Beth, are you a Democrat or a Republican?"

I cannot believe I'm about to say this on the internet...

Neither.

Both.

Somewhere in the middle.

Switzerland with Wi-Fi.

Because here's the thing...

I don't vote for a party. I vote for the human. Especially in local politics.

I want the human who is honest. The one who answers hard questions instead of talking in circles. The one who admits when they're wrong.

The one who says, "I don't know, but I'll find out."

The one who understands leadership isn't about fixing everything themselves. It's about bringing the right people together to solve problems.

See, I think we've forgotten something. We've convinced ourselves that government is responsible for everything.

Everything.

Then we sit back, point fingers, complain on Facebook, and proudly announce...

"I pay my taxes."

Congratulations.

That's the admission price.

That isn't community involvement. That's the bare minimum.

I don't want leaders who promise to save us.

I want leaders who look at us and say,

"I'm here to lead. I'm here to facilitate. Now community...it's your turn."

Because here's the uncomfortable truth...

We helped create many of the problems we're complaining about.

Every.

Single.

One.

Of.

Us.

We stopped knowing our neighbors.

We stopped showing up.

We stopped volunteering.

We stopped mentoring.

We stopped taking ownership.

Then we acted surprised when our communities changed.

So instead of asking candidates, "What are YOU going to do?"

Maybe we should also ask ourselves...

"What am I willing to do?"

Stop Voting Like It's a Popularity Contest

Can we please stop treating elections like Homecoming King?

This isn't a popularity contest.

It's a job interview.

Interview your politicians.

Ask questions that require thinking.

Not...

"Are you a good guy?"     I don't care.

My husband is one of the best humans I know.

I've known him for over 17 years.

He's an incredible husband.

A phenomenal supervisor. He treats his employees well. He's an amazing dad.

He'd give someone the shirt off his back.

I love him enough to spend the rest of my life with him.

If he ran for mayor...

I would not automatically endorse him.

Why?

Because being a good husband, father, friend, employer, or community member does not automatically make someone the best person for the job.

Stop voting because you've known someone for twenty years.

Stop voting because they go to your church.

Stop voting because they're your friend.

Stop voting because they helped coach Little League twenty years ago.

Friendship is not a résumé.

Good vibes are not a strategic plan. Character matters. Competence matters too.

Ask Better Questions

We all want big change. We all want to point out what's wrong.

We all want to call out the people currently in office.

Okay. Now what?

Seriously...

What's next? What do you propose?

If you're making loud noises, I want to know the plan.

If your platform is, "Start over."

Awesome.

What does starting over actually look like?

Paint me the picture.

What's your vision?

Who has to be at the table?

What are the first three steps?

What laws have to change?

What red tape exists?

How do you navigate it?

Don't tell me what you want.

Tell me how you're going to get there.

Because saying...

"Lower taxes."

"Fix education."

"Support law enforcement."

"Free lunches."

"Grow the economy."

Those aren't plans. Those are goals.

Goals without a road map are just really attractive bumper stickers.

I want strategy. I want honesty. I want someone willing to say,

"This part is going to be hard."

And while you're asking questions...

Watch the response.

Do they pause and think?

Do they admit they don't know?

Do they promise to find the answer?

Or do they dodge?

Deflect?

Attack someone else?

Run.

That response tells you more than any campaign sign ever will.

Here's Where I'm Going to Stir the Pot

The reality is...

We probably wouldn't need to raise taxes as often if we started taking ownership of our communities.

Now before you light your keyboard on fire...

No.

I'm not saying taxes disappear.

I'm saying we've outsourced almost everything.

What if neighbors got together and cleaned the park?

What if we cut the grass?

Trimmed the sidewalks?

Replaced the missing bolt in the park sign?

What if we actually showed up in our parks instead of complaining about them?

Do you know what happens when families fill parks?

People take pride in them. Vandalism decreases. Relationships increase.

Kids know adults. Adults know kids.

Communities become safer because people know one another.

What if...   We took our community back?

Imagine it.

Retirees teaching woodworking.

A mechanic showing teenagers how to change their oil.

A grandmother teaching kids to sew, crochet, or quilt.

Veterans mentoring young adults.

A community garden where children learn how food grows instead of assuming it magically appears on a grocery store shelf.

Neighbors teaching budgeting.

Cooking.

Carpentry.

Gardening.

Life.

Sharing the skills that built generations before us so they don't disappear with us.

What if we stopped just handing people things...

...and started handing them opportunities?

People absolutely need help sometimes.

Life happens. We should help. Without question.

But what if our support also built confidence?

Built independence?

Built skills?

Built relationships?

What if resources came with mentorship instead of just paperwork?

What if someone walked beside people while they learned to climb out of the hole, even if they helped dig it?

That's community. That's dignity. That's hope.

Fix the Foundation

I don't want politicians whose answer to every problem is,

"We need another building."

"We need another program."

"We need another department."

Sometimes we do.

But first...

Fix the foundation.

Repair what we already have. Strengthen families. Strengthen neighborhoods.

Strengthen schools. Strengthen local businesses. Strengthen relationships.

Because here's what I believe. Revenue will never solve broken foundations.

Money doesn't magically fix disconnected people.

If the foundation is cracked, all we're doing is buying bigger and more expensive Dollar Tree Band-Aids.

I don't want Band-Aids. I want builders...and not home builders...COMMUNITY BUILDERS!

Ride the Wave

Here's the thing.

I love people who make waves.

Seriously. Question the system. Challenge the status quo.

Push for better. Rock the boat when it needs to be rocked.

Make the waves, siblings.

But if you're going to make waves...

You better be ready to hang ten and ride them.

Creating change is the easy part.

Leading through change?

That's where character shows up.

No great leader has ever transformed a community alone.

Not one.

Every lasting movement required people willing to buy into a vision and do the work together.

So when someone stands on a stage and acts like they're the only one who can fix it...

Run.

Leadership isn't,

"Look what I did."

Leadership is,

"Look what we accomplished."

Healthy leaders build teams.

Healthy leaders invite disagreement.

Healthy leaders seek people smarter than they are.

Healthy leaders create more leaders.

Because communities are built by people.

Not personalities.

Maybe that's why I don't fit neatly into a political party.

I don't expect politicians to rescue me.

I expect them to lead.

To unite.

To challenge us.

To ask more of us than simply showing up every few years to color in a bubble on a ballot.

I expect them to remind us that government works best when communities stop acting like customers and start acting like owners.

So don't ask me if I'm red. Don't ask me if I'm blue.

Ask me if I'm willing to show up. Ask me if I'm willing to volunteer.

Ask me if I'm willing to mentor. Ask me if I'm willing to pick up trash that isn't mine.

Ask me if I'm willing to coach a kid who isn't mine.

Ask me if I'm willing to learn from someone whose life looks different than mine.

Ask me if I'm willing to sit at the table with people who vote differently than I do.

Because that's where real change starts.

Not in Washington.

Not in Nashville.

Not at the courthouse.

Right here. With us. Vote for the human.

Then become one worth following.

Because here's the truth...

We don't need louder politicians.

We don't need flashier campaigns.

We don't need more finger-pointing.

We need stronger communities.

Politicians will come and go.

Administrations will change.

Parties will rise and fall.

But communities...

Communities last for generations.

So before you ask who you're voting for...

Ask yourself...

What kind of neighbor am I?

What kind of citizen am I?

What kind of example am I leaving behind?

Because the future of our community will never be determined by one person sitting in an office.

It will be determined by thousands of ordinary people deciding they care enough to build something extraordinary.

So...

Make the waves, siblings.

Then grab your board.

Hang ten.

Don't expect to ride the wave alone.

The best waves were never meant to be surfed by one person anyway.

Be the kind of human your community would vote for.