I've questioned what makes people think they should be, or could be, famous for as long as I can remember. Wondering what made one person stand out among the crowd, how they got to where they were, and what they thought about being looked at with expectation by people that recognize them on the street. Even today some of my favorite content are the stories of actors and their careers, the stories of how they became who we all know as a 'famous person.'
Part of this is because I grew up personally knowing several TV personalities from the local news in Jonesboro, AR. My dad worked at KAIT8 for about 20 years and I knew people like Diana Davis and Terry Wood personally. As a I kid I knew those faces were on my TV every day, people seemed to recognize them, and what's more, people seemed to listen. It always seems like people just appear on our radar, suddenly famous one day, plucked out of obscurity to play a role in the larger narrative of our entertainment. What I've come to realize is that most overnight successes are years, if not decades, in the making. Small moments building up to put someone in the right place and at the right time to break through and become 'famous.'
Let's clear the air and make sure we all know that I do not see a local Justice of the Peace as a 'famous person' the way I once saw these local TV stars. Forty years of living and hearing stories has given me a healthy perspective on just how obscure and potentially inconsequential these roles tend to be. None-the-less, making a decision to run for public office means giving up the privacy I'm used to and being at least willing to develop a 'public persona.' I'm asking myself the same question I started with all those years ago - what makes me think I could or should be doing this?
Years have gone by where local and state offices were skipped over on my ballot in favor of picking my Presidential candidate followed by a feeling of helplessness as I wondered how my single vote really made a difference. My gut tells me that many of you can relate. These are years spent mostly oblivious to how local government is organized and managed, unaware of how it rolls straight up into the national narrative. Truth be told, local races have never really tipped my radar until moving into Washington County and realizing there was both a need and an opportunity to put my growing concern for our great experiment in democracy to action.
The past several years have been defining for millions of people. I'm not unique in that sense. I have watched as our Democracy was attacked from within and continue to stare in a stupor as "adults" in charge stand around twiddling their thumbs while power grabs and a lack of transparency continue to shape how the world works. People constantly talking but never saying anything that matters. All the while, the world turns and people continue to suffer in what is supposed to be 'the greatest nation' on the planet.
Landing in Springdale and building new relationships opened a window into local politics. A good friend has encouraged me to consider getting involved for a couple of years, at least. This low-level badgering picked up again on the heels of the special election in District 7 earlier this year. I heard that Jim Bob Duggar was running and knew in my core that literally anyone needed to stand up to that, so I decided I would just spend a couple of evenings observing the Quorum Court to learn how things work and build connections. I wasn't sure what the outcome would be but I had to ask that question - why me, why now, and why not someone else? Fortunately for all of us, Lisa Parks showed up and showed that we can absolutely overturn the norm if we just show up and make our voices heard.
I continued to attend Quorum Court because I was appalled at the behavior I saw. Our local government in Washington County is mismanaged, partisan, and embracing a national rhetoric that is intended to divide our country in a way not seen in generations. Seeing that narrative play out so clearly in my own backyard galvanized me to stand up for what I believe, right here, right now, knowing that I would have to live with my own inaction otherwise.
So... I found myself in the right place, in the right time, with my own small moments leading me off the sidelines and into the public eye. I'm primary motivated to use my experience, my story, and my energy, to make a better life for the people I share life with in JP District 4 and bring a sense of balance back to our county government, to fight back against the rhetoric of hate and discord that has no place among neighbors.
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