How Washington Has Changed Me Thus Far

Hey again!

I wanted to write this post which doesn't have anything to do with any specifics of the program but a look at how the program has changed me so far!

So here's the deal. I'm going to start this post by being perfectly honest with you guys... long ago and far away, I was power hungry. Yes, I know, it's hard to believe after we've gotten so close over these past few weeks but it's true. I used to think about how I could amass influence for mostly my own ego and benefit. That being said, I'm proud to say that's not me anymore.

I was having a phone conversation last night with a friend from home and I we were talking about my time here so far and all the amazing people I've met and things I've done. We got to talking about the government and how it works as far as how difficult it is to get anything of much consequence done. This lead me to think about how my point of view toward why I want to be an elected official has changed so much first, since I started managing a campaign, and second, since I came to D.C.

When I thought about running for office in the past I would think about how exciting it would be to campaign, and no doubt it will be exciting. But there's more to elected office than the glamor of campaigning. As I said in my previous post "Let's Get Partisan," the men and women of Congress are absolutely tireless and it's so impressive!

When I started managing the campaign for Ron Madnick up in Worcester, MA I really began to realize what elected office is about. Initially, it's about getting elected. After that, though, it's about doing the best you can for those you represent. It's about listening to an idea because you respect someone, even if they're on the other side of the isle, and taking their advice because it's good advice, period. And because as a public "servant" you're job is to do what's best for the people you represent.

Also, like I've said, it takes so much work to get anything done in Congress so if you're going to expend that much energy, why not expend it helping the people who got you elected instead of boosting your own agenda and ego? I'm proud to say that being able to watch the process of government first hand has broken me of my thirst for power haha!

That's the beauty of D.C., if you love politics the way I do. You can come here with any amount of preconceived notions and I guarantee most of them will be changed!

So this is sort of a continuation of the "How Washington Really Works" post. Washington takes in people from all walks of life and, if they're willing, shows them how beautiful our government is. When I think back to the founders and think about how they went about drafting the Constitution in such a way that we have a balance of power and an exchange of power throughout the years so we don't go too far in any direction it is truly awe-inspiring. That's really one thing the Constitution is about, moderation. It's something that our country is pretty good at maintaining. We don't drift too far in one direction, save the Tea Party activists ;) But I believe that the organic nature of our country will rein in that form of extremism too.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my personal growth so far haha, and we'll see you next time in the Life and Times of (me) a Washington Semester Program Student!