THE PARK....

I once met with a wise professor on my travels, loved by his peers and his students alike. He became revered in this way simply because of his outlook on the world, and the way he put it into words to explain to others. He had a gift of making big philosophical ideas and thoughts sound simple to the layman, and as such I was intrigued in how he did it.

I arranged to meet him and we spoke for a couple of hours about politics, about his job, and about the world. It soon became clear that we agreed on many things but that we also disagreed on many things. He was an inspiring person to be around, but soon enough our time together drew to a close. As we shook hands, he grabbed my hand tighter and looked me in the eye, and said to me: “Don’t forget that life is like a trip to the park, think about that.”

And he was gone.

So I thought about his words for the next couple of weeks, until I began to understand what he was telling me. Life is full of obstacles, plenty of ups and downs. When you step off the hustle and bustle of the roundabout you might need a minute until you don’t feel dizzy. I thought of all of the things he could have meant. But one piece of equipment made more sense to me than anything.

The Seesaw.

They say that the reason a seesaw was made for two people is that when you go down, there would always be someone there to lift you up again. I based my entire political portfolio around that. I wanted to be that someone to lift people who needed it the most, to keep a balance between the two sides. I have spent years trying to find that middle ground so that nobody is ever left down.

But leaving nobody down means nobody is ever up either, and is the world any better if nobody is happy?

Some people though, cheat the system. Some people, like SeeSaw himself, the namesake of the very park equipment we speak about, remains on edge at all times. And this mania that envelopes him keeps him up high all of the time. He feels on top of the world as he looks around at those below him, his toybox the only concern he has. But that’s not very fair to everyone else on the other end of the seesaw who are forced to the ground. And no matter how hard they try and kick off the dirt, they can’t rise.

But I am here to change that.

And SeeSaw, just like you force those around you down, once we’re done this week you will be left with your face in the dirt, with nobody on the other end of the seesaw to give you the lift back up that you need. And really, can you say you would even deserve it, anyway?

Vote Whitlock.