Thirty years ago while volunteering on a Congressional campaign, I met this guy who told me he had admitted himself into a mental health facility after having a "nervous breakdown." The cause? Ronald Reagan's election in 1980.
I relayed this information to my father, who deemed it "ridiculous." He assured me that no matter which candidate won, the world keeps spinning.
A year later my own name was on the ballot. On election night, after all the votes had been counted, I had lost by 303 votes. In the morning the sun rose, classes continued, the world kept spinning. Later that day, Dad asked me how I felt about losing, and I admitted, "Relieved."
Every election since, no matter whether my man or woman wins, I always remember my dad's sage advice: sometimes the Democrats win, sometimes the Republicans win; decent, hard-working candidates triumph, and self-serving idiots do too.
No matter what the result, the world keeps spinning.
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