Politics

I don't often create posts about politics.
There is an old saying that one should not discuss religion or politics in polite company and, like most well-known sayings, there is a reason why that became a wise old saying.
I have friends and relatives who are flaming liberals, others who are libertarian radicals and others who are right-wing racists. Most of my friends are somewhere in between these extremes on the political scale. Since I respect individual opinions and would just as soon keep a wide variety of people as friends, I do not usually initiate political conversations.
That does not mean, however, that I never, ever discuss politics.
Social media includes a wide variety of political and religious views. It's easy to share or re-post something without thinking it through. A couple dozen of my email and Facebook friends forward and re-post a lot of non-original material: cat pix, sappy inspirational sayings, photos, cartoons, music clips and political commentary.
Most of this stuff I glance at and then ignore.

If I want to encourage the poster, I will "like" it or "reply" to the email with a "thanks."
If I REALLY like it, I may make a comment.
If I would like more information about the topic, I'm not afraid to ask a question.
Since there is no "dislike" button, probably the best way to deal with people who post way too much stuff is to simply ignore it.
However, there is one other thing that causes me to make a comment on a political statement: if I know it is based on total garbage, I will call it out.

That's because there's another old saying that evil will flourish when good people say nothing.
I learned early in life that bullies gain power when they aren't called out. That doesn't mean that I call out every bully; I believe it was Teddy Roosevelt who said "you can't die on every hill." I also don't believe that people want to hear my opinion on every topic. But if the topic is something about which I am knowledgeable, I will say something. If it is something that just sounds wrong, I may do a little checking, perhaps on snopes.com or a legitimate, nonpartisan news source, to see if the poster has the facts right. And if it is dead wrong, I may email or post my comment in the spirit of "constructive criticism." Sometimes I will ask the poster where they got their information or if they can give specific examples of how some "urban legend" is true.

A few of my Facebook and email friends appear to be gullible, getting sucked into every passing fad on the Internet. Those are the folks who think "If I saw it on the Internet, it must be true." (Yes, I do have friends who are that stupid. God bless 'em and I hope someday they get a clue.)

Others feel that being religious or patriotic "excuses" them from the responsibility to check out memes before they pass them on because they think that their "motive" is genuine. (To them I respond, lying is lying. "Two wrongs don't make a right.")

Three topics on which I consider myself to be relatively well informed are health care reform, U.S. history & geography, and welfare reform. (Fifteen years as a journalist and 14 years as a county commissioner who specialized in health & human service policy development gave me a fairly solid background.) There are a great many Internet posts on those topics, and a lot of it is flat out false.
Another popular topic is slamming religious or immigrant groups.

As someone who has personally been deeply hurt by false rumors, I recall wishing that someone would stand up for me so that I was not the only one standing up for myself. Even though the rumors about me were later shown to lack merit, spreading rumors is like ripping open a feather pillow on a windy day--and then going back and trying to collect all the feathers to reassemble the pillow. Even if a thoughtless gossip apologizes and tries to make amends, one can never track down every lost feather.

Sometimes an individual or group is being falsely accused and, quite frankly, it is cowardly to not stick up for them if you know differently. How many of the murders and character defamation that occur are caused by people "assuming" that something is true about an individual or group without checking the facts?

So although I won't deliberately and aggressively initiate a political confrontation, if you are being a bully, I will try to defend the people that you are picking on.  If I know that something is false, I will call it out. People are entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to making up their own facts. I don't want to lose you as a friend, but friends don't let friends spread false and hurtful information. If you don't want someone calling you out on social media, then don't post provocative memes. Stick to cat pix.

Retrospective

Every job that I've ever had has taught me something.

There have been very few jobs that I've dreaded to get up for in the morning. Certainly there were aspects of every job that were not pleasant, but for the most part, I have been able to enjoy each one that I've had--from being a farmwife and mother to being an elected county commissioner.

By far the most fun job, however, was my 13 years of being a reporter for a locally owned, small-town newspaper. Every day, every week was different. I met an amazing variety of interesting people, from governors and chief executive officers to poverty-stricken indigents. To get paid for doing what I enjoy most--writing--was a bonus.

At Balboa Park in San Diego in Aug. 2013

This blog started out to be an account of transitioning from my last regular job--being a county commissioner--to being retired. The transition was not always smooth. I knew that I was not ready to spend my days sitting in a recliner. Although my retirement assets were sufficient to "pay the bills," supplemental income would be needed to travel, make donations and accomplish other "quality of life" goals. I have been blessed with relatively good health and continued energy.

Pursuing several different avenues of service--both paid and volunteer--a number of doors along the way would not open for me. No matter--my daily devotional book reminded me today that the Apostle Paul was often guided by closed doors and prohibitions. (Shouldn't what was good enough for the Apostle Paul be good enough for me?) But at times I was left wondering, "Well, what now, Lord?"

Friends advised me that when a door closes, look for a window. Sure enough, within days--sometimes hours--new windows of opportunity inevitably came my way. Three years after retirement, I am enjoying a fun, challenging and fulfilling variety of activities ranging from being a volunteer driver for my county to being president-elect of the Minnesota Library Trustees and Advocates. I am also blessed to have gotten back into my "most fun" occupation of being paid to write, as a freelance journalist.

Transitioning back into journalism from having been in politics took a little time. My old editor had advised me to "report the news, don't make the news." Editors tend to be skeptical of the motives of politicians of all stripes--current and former. My first attempts to pick up free-lance jobs resulted in closed doors. (That, however, wound up being a blessing in disguise as my family needed my time--temporarily--as a caregiver more than I needed writing jobs.) Eventually, however, my experience and capabilities cracked open a window or two. Then, the doors opened again, and I'm as busy now as I care to be.

In some ways, I am probably more conscientious about accuracy than I was before. Having occasionally been the victim of unethical or lazy journalists when I was in public office, I have experienced first-hand the pain of having false and misleading information connected to my name. Although this week's newspaper is, indeed, next week's garbage can liner, the written word has the ability to change policy, inspire and make a difference in people's lives. It also becomes a part of tomorrow's history.

As 2014 begins, I am grateful to have a variety of past and future writing assignments, as well as opportunities to assist my community as a volunteer.

Volunteering: what's it all about?

These men are among dozens of retirees who volunteer at the Dassel History Center.

These retirees contributed to a book, Main Street Kids, about their childhoods in Dassel.

Now that I'm past 65, I hang out with a lot of volunteers.

What is it about senior citizens and volunteering? Are we bored? Are we really motivated by an altruistic desire to "give back to the community?" Or do we just want to feel useful in our declining years?

It could well be a combination of all of the above.

Since entering kindergarten at age five, most citizens take on a role. You are a first-grader, or a junior in high school, a freshman at XYZ University, an intern, a mother or father, a secretary, a nurse, an architect or lawyer at ABC firm, etc.

In my adult life, I was, respectively, a freshman at the University of Idaho, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, a clerk typist at the University Extension Service, a full-time mother of one, two, three and finally four children, a farmwife, a braille transcriber and secretary, a newspaper reporter, a county commissioner, a consultant.

Now I'm retired. Almost daily I am asked, "What are you doing now that you've retired?"

My response is usually, "I'm doing a lot of volunteer driving for the county and a little part-time work."

The variety of part-time gigs are too numerous for the typical, "Hey, how are you?" conversation, so I tend to focus on the volunteer driving. It is probably my most consistent pastime these days, anyhow.  My free-lance journalism occupies perhaps six hours a month, plus about a week of intense work on a quarterly basis. Custodial work at my church takes approximately two hours a week. My seasonal Farmers Market work--about four hours a week for a few months. My other volunteering--at church and at the History Center--is pretty sporadic: two or three hours per week at best. That makes the Retired Senior Volunteer driving gig, at 10-15 hours most weeks, the closest thing I have to a "real" job.

I filled out an application for this gig and passed the background screening. Once a year, my doctor needs to okay my medical suitability for driving and my mechanic has to inspect my car. I have annual training sessions. I even wear a badge. Yeah, it's like a real job. Except that I don't need to report the stipend to the IRS since it is technically just reimbursement for my expenses.

Being a volunteer driver means I spend time a car, often for a couple of hours, with people from all walks of life. Some are little old ladies who no longer drive, but I also take people of all ages to their mental health groups, people who cannot drive because of DUI records to their doctor appointments, people with cancer to radiation, young people in foster care to summer school programs and disabled people to physical therapy. Most of my clients are low income. It is interesting to meet them. Many of them talk freely about how they came to be in their current situation. It is sobering to hear how a car accident, a divorce, a DUI incident or health issues changed what had been a normal, active life into  a daily struggle. It doesn't take long to realize that people on "welfare" are human beings. Most of them worked hard until their health forced them to quit. Their lives are not easy. Several of them have experienced homelessness or domestic abuse. Giving up driving--whether due to their health or eyesight or because of extreme poverty--has been difficult for many of them. An extra perk has been that driving the foster care kids has enabled me to keep up on the latest music on the car radio--and some of it is actually good.

I also spend an hour or two (or more) waiting for the clients while they are seeing their doctor, dentist or therapist. We volunteer drivers learn the most convenient (and cheapest) locations for cups of coffee, fuel, and fast food near the medical facilities in the cities we frequent. My fitness club membership allows complimentary workouts at a sister franchise--and I take advantage of this privilege. I know where the nearest Target and fabric stores are located in regional centers. I keep comfortable shoes in the car for mall walking, I also get a lot of embroidery, reading and writing done in waiting rooms. My waiting time is definitely not wasted.

So why do I do it? I really don't know. Since my own parents died when I was quite young, I was spared the obligation of caring for my elders, so this is a way I can have that experience. I had to drive as part of my reporter & commissioner jobs and became accustomed to navigating the Twin Cities as well as the rural regional centers of St, Cloud, Willmar and Hutchinson. In recent years, God has provided me with dependable cars, and this is a way to show my appreciation. Also (and quite importantly for many seniors on a fixed income,) driving for the county service means that my mileage and expenses are reimbursed. This basically allows my husband and I to own and operate two vehicles instead of only one. (It is cheaper for our government-funded medical programs to pay mileage for a volunteer than it is to hire a cab or pay for a medical transportation service.) I also request reimbursement of expenses for several of the other volunteer activities in which I take place, including several of the advisory committees on which I serve.

As a retiree on a pension, I can afford to donate my time, but gas is expensive.

In digging deeper into why people volunteer, I think that a more substantive reason is that it is a good use of human resources. We sixty-somethings are often in good health and mentally alert when we retire. Some of us leave the job market before we had intended to fully retire, Others of us leave as planned, but wind up "flunking" retirement because we need to keep our minds and bodies more active.
Modern medications and attention to diet and exercise keep many of us in good physical condition long after the Depression-era established "retirement" age of 65.

Why should society park the brains and bodies that it has spent millions of dollars educating and keeping healthy on shelves just because those brains and bodies have turned 65? Social Security and pensions often make labor no longer needed for financial sustenance, but active people want to remain active. Finding the right volunteer job allows older adults to make better use of the physical plant of their bodies.

Travel, golf, cards and other leisure activities may not give people enough of a sense of purpose. Women, especially, may miss the physical presence of adult children who have grown up and moved away. Volunteering can also fill the gaps in a person's life after a spouse or beloved sibling or friend passes away.

Not all retirees need or want to volunteer. For some, the daily responsibility of being a caregiver for an ailing spouse or elderly relative, helping to raise their grandchildren, or dealing with a personal health issue occupies most of their time and energy. Other retirees find themselves in need of income to supplement their Social Security checks. For them, a part-time job may take the place of volunteering. (Or the presence of a pension check to cover the "necessities" may provide the incentive to actually try some avenue of self employment.)

As young people, we attend college or trade school to prepare ourselves for a lifetime career. In a similar way, as people approach retirement, they should take inventory of their unique skills and interests and prepare for the activity for this "encore" period of their lives. (A couple I know, Mark and Janet Skie, have written a book, "Mapping Your Retirement," about this stage of life.

Types of volunteer opportunities vary greatly. People in certain careers, such as medicine, teaching, and social services, are accustomed to the roles volunteers play in their institutions, and gravitate quite naturally into these roles after they retire. Hospitals, nursing homes and schools buzz with the energy of recently retired staff. Some of these opportunities (such as substitute teaching) also bring supplemental income into a retiree's home.

Opportunities to utilize retirees' brains and skills also abound in faith-based institutions like Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services and within churches and synagogues of all denominations. Most museums and libraries would shut their doors without their cadres of volunteers. The advantages of this type of volunteering for older professionals is that this type of volunteer work need not be boring or mundane. Non-profit organizations need everything from envelope stuffers to handymen to project managers. They often have volunteer coordinators on staff to keep things running smoothly.

Another type of volunteering in which I engage is serving on boards and advisory committees. City councils, county boards, state government, hospitals and church denominations are seeking skilled, experienced individuals to sit on these panels. Expense reimbursement or stipends may be part of this type of service.

Political activism provides another opportunity for volunteers. People who are passionate about a cause or philosophy or candidate will find lots of opportunity in this arena.

Additional training may be a part of the volunteer experience. I am being sent to leadership training by a church denomination board on which I serve. Many non-profit groups invest in training their volunteers and board members.

After I retired, I looked into a number of volunteer opportunities and got involved in the ones I am presently doing. I discontinued or cut back on a couple of other activities, mostly because I found them not to be as good of a "fit" to my skills and interests. (It is easy to say "yes" to things that are not a good fit, simply because one has more spare time after retirement.)

For the most part, I have been spared time-consuming "caregiver" duties, and something in my nature needs a role identity. And yes, doing something for those less fortunate than me helps me feel better, more useful and as if I'm fulfilling God's exhortations to serve my fellow inhabitants of this planet. So I volunteer.

Accepting limitations -- or not

Kay grooms her pet donkey, Patches, a week and a half after returning home from the hospital.

I recently returned from a trip to Connecticut where I spent time with my younger sister, who is recuperating from a head injury sustained in a fall on her rural acreage. The fall fractured her skull and created a hematoma on her brain, so the doctors kept her in the intensive care unit, in an induced coma, for more than a week in early April. She was finally released from the hospital's rehabilitation facility in early May, and received physical and occupational therapy for another month.

Other than a mild, barely noticeable memory loss and aphasia, in which she substitutes the wrong word for the word intended, she seems normal. However, they did not want her to drive for a while, and I noticed than she lacked her usual ability to multi-task. She needed to concentrate on one task at a time in order to get things done. I spent 10 and a half days driving her to appointments, running errands with her, and  assisting with household chores.

Adjusting to a slower pace was, and continues to be, very frustrating for Kay. She has a "Type A" personality, operates her own business, and is used to 16-hour work days. Habitual jogging, yoga classes and gardening have kept her in great physical condition, which allowed her to cruise thru her physical therapy at a much faster pace than expected. And a trip to the hairdresser solved the "bad hair" caused by the doctors shaving part of her head following the injury.

The RBB&B elephants arrive in Hartford.

Kay operates a public relations firm that has a contract with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey circus. They handle the news releases and much of the advertising and public relations activities whenever the circus is in southern New England. As much as the doctors warned her not to return to work, she begged me to drive her to downtown Hartford for an "elephant brunch" with local Head Start kids and their families. How does a woman say "no" to her childhood roommate and "partner in conspiracy" against neighborhood bullies? I complied.

When she was first discharged from the hospital, Kay was directed to walk with a cane when outdoors or on uneven ground. Since she did not own a cane, she put a spare ski pole into service as her walking stick. By the time I found a parking spot after dropping her off in front of Hartford's Old State House, Kay was barking orders to the Head Start families and staff, using her ski pole as a crowd control device. She later introduced me to the ringmaster, several circus clowns, and to the other people from her firm who had taken over her duties for the event.

Kay used her ski pole for crowd control.

After the elephants enjoyed their "brunch" of lettuce, bananas, bread and watermelon, Kay had me drive two of the clowns back to the circus train. (Since elephants travel only by rail or walking, the RBB&B Circus only accepts venues within a mile or so of a railroad siding. The beasts ride in specially designed, extra high, climate-controlled railroad cars. Some of the circus crew ride in sleepers in the same train.)

Throughout my stay, I observed Kay's need for more rest than usual, but I also observed that she is extremely eager to get back to "normal." And for her, there is a good probability that she will make a full recovery. Except, of course, for the limitations that aging puts on all of us. 

I'm part of an on-line community entitled "Changing Aging." The general tone of this group is that there is no reason for older people to slow down, retire, be subjected to "age discrimination" or change their lifestyles to "accommodate" the aging process. For the most part, a positive approach toward the aging process is preferable to a negative one. But a few of my colleagues seem to think that people should be able to avoid the infirmities of old age until, some fine day, they drop dead of a heart attack while walking home from the post office. (Or, as humorist Garrison Keillor once fantasized, they keel over while having a beer at the local tavern after their girlfriend's husband shoots them in the back.)

Although Ben Franklin's old adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"  may delay some disabilities, it is not realistic to presume that a positive attitude, regular exercise, a nutritious diet and consumption of dietary supplements will prevent all the ravages of age.  Cancer and dementia happen to people from all walks of life, who have made all kinds of lifestyle choices. Even lifestyle-related conditions like heart disease, lung cancer and diabetes have a hereditary component. Disciplined people who have made admirable choices can and do succumb to chronic disease. In addition, accidents can happen to anyone--even healthy people like my sister. To suggest otherwise is to engage in "blaming the victim."

When I hear someone brag that, "They'll never put me in a nursing home," I shudder. How does that person know that disability will never happen to them? It is delusive to make this kind of assumption, or to arm-twist spouses or children into making caregiving promises they may not be able to keep.

So how is one to approach aging? Several people have criticized me for my reluctance to fully retire. I desire to keep busy, doing practical, useful work and helping others. I continue to set goals. I continue to accept positions on various committees and boards. Six weeks ago, I began writing again for a newspaper on occasion, after a 10-year hiatus.

Yet I also need to admit that there are a few projects, a few challenges I will never be able to complete. There are some "dream vacations" that my husband and I may take--and a few more we probably will not take. I won't climb mountains (except perhaps in a car or on a ski lift) and I probably will never learn to ride a surfboard. And even if a company or agency WAS willing to hire a 66-year-old woman full time, I probably should not try to work 40 hours a week any longer, in addition to keeping up our home and yard. I simply do not have as much physical stamina as I once had, and it seems to take a little longer to absorb new information.

So I work a few part-time gigs instead. Most of them allow flexibility in the hours of work. I can sit down and take a break as needed. I don't have to punch a clock. It's okay.

My sister called this evening, all excited. The doctor told her today that she could resume driving again. I was happy for her, but advised her that her days of driving while talking on her cell phone should be over. "We're better off focusing on one task at a time," I said.

"I have even started putting on my makeup at home, too," she admitted.

I laughed. "No more mascara while looking in the visor mirror at a stoplight. Good choice."

Farewell to Jeanne

For Jeanne Goemer, growing old was as unavoidable as it is for the rest of us. But "acting old" was an option. That's the way her family described her.

Jeanne Goemer hiking at Meeker County's Woodland Park.

Jeanne never wanted to act old. I cross country skied with her until she was 86 years old, and she rode horseback until she was 87. During the summer of 2010, when she was 87, I also went kayaking with her--although it was necessary for me to drag both of the kayaks back up the steep banks after we were done.

She was a stubborn and feisty woman.

As her county commissioner, I knew that a telephone call from Jeanne meant taking action of some kind.

Sometimes the action was pleasant: she wanted me to join her for a swim in Lake Manuella or to go skiing with her at Woodland Park. Perhaps she had an extra ticket to some cultural event and wanted me to go along.

But Jeanne had other, less pleasant, requests. She was often upset about something and wanted me to get after the county park director or the county highway engineer about a maintenance issue she had observed in one of the county parks or along a road right-of-way. Or she had an idea that I should bring up at an upcoming county board meeting.

Jeanne could be very firm about what she thought needed to be done. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Besides horseback riding, skiing, and kayaking, Jeanne was an avid gardener, kept a spotlessly clean house and sang in her church choir. A retired teacher, she was a lifelong learner and world traveler, seeking out educational forums, concerts and tours. She also kept young by cultivating friendships with younger people--I was not the only friend and companion who was 25 years or more her junior. She appeared to take a genuine interest in the hopes and dreams of young people.

Jeanne's one fault was that she lacked the ability to grow old gracefully. She so resisted aging--being in excellent physical condition--that she was unable to accept limitations that come to all of us as we grow older. She fought with family, friends and caregivers, insisting on doing things "her way."

On Saturday I attended Jeanne's memorial service. There were plenty of stories shared about this tireless community and church volunteer whose physical strength, at age 90, had finally failed.

Rest in peace, old friend.

Looking back

The Roman god Janus had two faces, one looking forward, the other backward as the new solar year began.

Likewise we humans tend to look back at the end of the year, to review the year's events and ascertain if any goals we set were accomplished, and to make new goals for the coming year.

Overlook of Sawtooth Mountains, between Ketchum-Sun Valley and Stanley, Idaho.

Highlights of the year were our July camping trip to Idaho and meeting Bob's Swedish 2nd cousin, Mats Jacobsson and his young son Victor, who visited us in August. Bob's other Jacobsson cousins put on a very fun family reunion in his honor, and we got re-acquainted with long-lost kin. While in Idaho, we camped in our old tent with our dog Oscar and found that, with a few minor adaptations, Bob is still able to tent camp after his successful 2011 back surgery.

Canoeing at the Jacobsson family reunion with cousin Mats on the North Fork of the Crow River.

There were also a few lesser, but still significant, events: canoeing the Crow River with my old junior high friend Connie Scott, helping a couple of friends with their political campaigns (one won and the other had fun trying) and working part-time at a local apple orchard this past fall. There were fun visits with grandchildren, get-togethers with friends and the satisfaction of helping a great many people get to their appointments through our county volunteer driver program. I even taught Vacation Bible School again for the first time since my kids were growing up. There is a full freezer and packed fruit cellar shelves to testify to the bounty of my garden.

A report from Bob's surgeon that his 2011 back surgery remains successful, and seeing him regain some of his old strength (although he will have life-long lifting restrictions) was another positive event. He was able to wean himself off a couple of medications which had undesirable side effects, so that was a plus as well. My health, too, received a good report when I passed a couple of diagnostic tests with good scores. As my doctor said, "Keep doing what you're doing."

In looking back, I see that I had a few goals that WERE completed: reading the King James Bible and completing a single-bed quilt for my youngest grandchild, who was outgrowing her crib.  I also planted 60 small trees in the yard and finished most (but not all) of my side-hill landscaping project.

Some of the other goals: well, not so good. There are a bunch of uncompleted projects around the place. The weight loss goal was not achieved. A few of the things I set out to accomplish did not take place.

There were also disappointments over which I had no control: the deaths of several friends and colleagues, disappointing political events and tragedies around the globe, part-time positions for which I applied but was not selected, things I did my best on which did not succeed.

One forgets how much of one's identity is wrapped up in whatever job one has. As a retiree, I am still sorting out exactly where I belong in the "big picture" of things. Sometimes it seems like the value of my volunteer work and the stuff I do around the house is not as significant as the things I did as a newspaper reporter or as a county commissioner.  But God's ways are not our ways. Pastor has been speaking the past couple of Sundays about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit and the parts of the Body of Christ. Each part is essential to the well being of all. We need to keep that in mind as we make plans for 2013.

Nobody is irreplaceable

Meeker Co Board 2010. Back: Jim Swenson, Wally Strand, Dave Gabrielson. Front: Ron Kutzke, Amy Wilde

Gotta admit that I'm pleased with most of the results of the 2012 elections.

Mitt Romney was not really on the Republicans' "A-team" (neither were the other major contenders--I mean, really--Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Donald Trump?) Romney's recent comments to his moneyed supporters clearly demonstrate that this candidate had little understanding or empathy for the way ordinary people live from day to day. His simplistic assumption that the Red States are the "makers" and the Blue States are the "takers" is a deluded fantasy not in touch with data on which states actually absorb more federal largess. He also attributes only to poor people the less-than-stellar motivation that supporting a particular political party will be better for your financial health. Another head-banger was Romney's suggestion that unemployed youth simply borrow money from their parents and start a business if they cannot find a job. (I and many other parents have no resources to "stake" our children! Fortunately, all four of mine found jobs.)

Candidate Nancy Larson in the Dassel parade.

In Minnesota, a 2010 rout of lawmakers perceived to be either liberal or too moderate (I was one of many defeated that year) was reversed, for the most part, in the Minnesota legislature. Seven of the ousted DFLers, plus some new recruits, are now among the renewed Dem majority in both houses. Yes, I supported an energetic 70-year-old in her failed pursuit of a House seat, but neither of us were surprised (or even disappointed) that our moderate Republican legislator will return to the state legislature in this conservative region. (He mainly needed a little pressure from the center instead of the far right this time around, we thought.)

Losing state candidates Schiroo, Campa and Larson with winning U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar at campaign stop in Stewart.

Congress? Well, more of the same ahead except that this time around, perhaps the President won't be so focused on his own re-election that he cannot reject the failed "trickle-down economics" schemes of his predecessor. At least we have one less war (and hopefully soon two less) to finance. Among Minnesota's delegation, Sen. Amy Klobuchar clobbered her far-right opponent, Kurt Bills, and I am fine with all but one of our state's congressional outcomes.

On the Dassel City Council, two micro-managers and a councilor with spotty attendance were replaced by a pair of smart, sharp female councilors and a seasoned local leader for mayor. All three have long histories of volunteer service to their community which demonstrate that they really care about their home town.

The Meeker County Board, on which I served for 14 years, experienced a complete turnover. Buyer's remorse may have contributed to the defeat (after only two years' service) of the not-too-bright ultra conservative who took me out in 2010. But the real culprit was redistricting: for the most part, the challengers were better located within their respective new districts than the incumbents. Three of the incumbents were also considerably older than the challengers and thus perceived as "good ol' boys" by constituents (many of whom were new to the incumbents due to redistricting) desiring a change. And, quite frankly, a couple of the incumbents had made strategic mistakes or failed to get to know their new constituents.

In the fifth district, a long-time incumbent who was in poor health chose not to run again. He was replaced by a sharp and popular retired community banker.

Minnesota Library Trustees & Advocates officers, 2012:
 Judy Schotzko, Amy Wilde, Lenore Johnson

In looking back at the county board race, I was surprised by only one outcome. The others had been anticipated. Why? Because, like it or not, none of us is irreplaceable. In nature, eventually the young bucks defeat the old bucks. Yet life goes on--indeed, replacing old blood with new is part of the process.

Sure, it felt good when one of the reporters who covered our meetings told me that I "was the best commissioner ever" in his many years of covering the county board. It was flattering to read, in the many cards and emails I received two years ago, that I would be greatly missed. I also have not minded the many, many telephone calls and emails I continue to receive seeking advice or informing me of some new happening on my old board. Two weeks ago I received yet another request to serve on an advisory committee--and I did not turn this one down--although I have cut back on participation in a few other groups. It is a privilege to still be of service to my community. This fall I was even reinstated as vice chair of the Minnesota Library Trustees & Advocates group, even as I am wrapping up my final year as chair of our regional library system.  This old gray mare may not be what she used to be, but she's not done yet.

A few weeks ago, a couple of my old opponents rudely messaged that they want me to "just go away." (When one has been in public service,  expect a few people to be downright cruel.) They apparently don't like the fact that I'm still active in community affairs and blogging. But I don't regard my lifetime 80% win-loss ratio as a failure. I refuse to regard myself as a loser. Doing the "necessary thing" is not always popular. Indeed, I have found a unique "fellowship of suffering" with my best friend in enduring unwarranted persecution. (My friend knows that--unlike Him--I've been justifiably punished in the past for NOT doing the right thing.) Someday those cruel detractors will stand before a greater power than any of us and either have repented and been forgiven, as I have, or suffer real defeat.

I look at other public servants who have retired--either voluntarily or involuntarily--and see that many have gone on to pursue other interests, other challenges--and a few of them, even other offices. A few become discouraged, but most continue to be involved.

A Bible reading this week brought me to Ezekiel 37--the Valley of the Dry Bones. (I remember my silver-haired daddy singing in his imperfect bass voice: "The head bone's connected to the neck bone, the neck bone's connected to the shoulder bone, the shoulder bone's connected to the arm bone…now hear the word of the Lord!") Is it possible, when others consider you dead and useless and that your life is over, that God has something more for you? Of course it is!

Although I rejoice with my colleagues who won their elections last week, and I pray for the future well-being of our state, county and nation, I also stand with those colleagues who suffered defeat. I feel their discouragement and disappointment. Especially to an incumbent, losing an election is akin to experiencing a death in the family. But I am not ashamed of their humiliation--because I know God has something more for them in the future, as He has for me. They just can't see it yet. Those dry bones will rise again. Have faith.