Maybe this is a lament…
It was just a short stint, providing leadership in the small city that has become home. It was never going to be earthshaking. It was, perhaps, pedestrian.
But it was a formal leadership role, and I would like to believe I helped lead–that I was, in fact, a leader. Some who live here may debate that, and I certainly left no “mark.” But I did my homework, collaborated on making tough decisions, listened to the community, told the truth, strove for accountability, and walked with those in the community who were hurting and needed a listening ear.
Most decisions, especially the consquential ones, were made within considerable constraints. At times I wondered if we were “deciding” or merely “stamping.”
We made sure that the water flowed, garbage was collected, roads were maintained, money was put aside for harder times, and safety was largely maintained. It was blue collar stuff, the stuff that makes a city what it is.
I guess the key in all of it, for me, was that we faced our citizens without guile, with transparency, with, I would say, a desire to make things better. Maybe we failed, but our goals were clear. We knew where the job would lead: to more hard decisions made under constraint (and sometimes duress). But we did it, and our expectations of personal gain were nil.
Nope, we were not heroes.
And we wielded the small amount of power we had with a kind of trepidation.
We
Me and some others.
I never took a bribe.
I never lied about a decision I made.
I never dissembled.
It was the basic commitments that were easy. The commitment to preparing well was without cost (okay, it took time, but that is part of the job). The commitment to listening never hurt. The commitment to explaining my votes actually made things much smoother. The commitment to telling the truth actually paid dividends in trust gained.
None of that is hard.
I did not have to overthink it or scheme with anyone to make that stuff work.
I am reflecting on this today, because I want leaders like us.
There is no hubris in that. We were unspectacular, unnoticed, unrecognized.
Maybe
Maybe leaders like us are not smart enough to lead at any level beyond the local. (I can own that, it may be true). Maybe we don’t have what it takes.
But still, I want leaders like us.
Leaders like us.
How hard is it, really, to have leaders like us?
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 
My friend, I’ve known you 30 plus years. You have always been a good person, a kind, generous man of integrity and passion. Warmheartedness, fairness, uncomplicated, extremely smart and locked in on outcomes are other descriptors.
Thanks for your service to your community. Thanks for holding out hope that leaders should and can raise their standards . Don’t give up hoping and believing and lobbying for positive change. And above all else, these these three remain, faith, hope and love – keep striving, keep being.
a fellow traveller living locally now, Allah y baarak feekoum (Nanc included as well)