March 2004
Ornamental me
I've already learned that some experiences as a candidate do not prepare you for elected office. That's particularly true when you are an ornament.
Yeah, my wife laughed too, but that's the word I used. I had my first chance to be ornamental on Saturday,. March 13. The Washington state soccer league organizers invited a member of the Lakewood City Council to help hand out medals that afternoon.
Mayor Doug Richardson asked me to attend, and of course it was easy to say yes. I live just a couple houses across Gravelly Lake Drive from the Harry Lang Stadium at Clover Park. It's always nice, in this day of proud suburban living, to be able to walk to your destination.
So, under sparkling sun, I made my way to the stadium. The organizers got there at 7 a.m. that morning, and the preceding weekend mornings, in order to make the event happen. It was the least I could do to show up at 1:45.
The mission was to hand out medals to participants in a soccer demonstration. There were two teams of elementary-age children who participate in a league for children with disabilities. Quite frankly, few of the disabilities were obvious. But it was clear these kids had more than the usual spirit. They charged onto the field with high energy and kept it up for 15 minutes. The youngest player charged right into someone's backside and fell flat on the field with a plop, but was quickly restored to order by an attentive adult.
After the kids lined up, I was handed a microphone and given the chance to hear my own voice reverberate through the stadium. When I am in my front yard, I can hear the dull roar of the announcer during games. To be honest, I was so busy trying to figure what to say that I only remember hearing the faintest echo of my voice in the stadium. I think I thanked the kids for their display of energy and enthusiasm on behalf of the people of Lakewood (I hope you don't mind me speaking on your behalf, folks, but you would have loved these kids if you had been there).
This was a classic moment for a politician, as I had very little reason to be there on the field with these kids, who had worked a lot harder than me. All I remember from my soccer life is falling down a lot. I could only wonder what the audience thought, particularly given the famous acoustics of any stadium (I imagined they heard me say,. "Blah, blah, blah, politician, blah." ) By the way, this is a light-hearted column, so if you are the person in charge of acoustics at the stadium, relax - the sound is crisper than any I've heard before in a venue like that. I'm just kidding around.
But hey, what I said in my best symphonic incoherent form, the kids were smiling. And their spirit was infectious. I had the best deal of the day - putting a ribbon and medal around their necks. Many looked down on the field and headed straight toward proud adults. Others grinned at me. I was sailing the rest of the day.
Did I deserve to be out there, and deserve such a great feeling? Who knows - who can answer the question? But it was a sunny, wonderful day.
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