Here's to those who step up

It should come as no surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention that there’s an election next Tuesday. I know from personal experience what an outside-the-comfort-zone experience running for office can be for most people.

Several years ago during a contentious election, someone said to me that I shouldn’t take things personally.

Seriously?

There’s nothing more personal than stepping into the arena, placing your name on a ballot, asking people for their support monetarily and with their vote. Every insecurity you can recall from junior high school sneaks into your head.

It’s not an easy thing to do, nor is it something anyone would or should do on a whim. For the family of a candidate it’s also tough. Family knows more than anyone in the public how hard the candidate is working, how important it is and how personal, yes personal, putting your name on a ballot truly is.

The longest day of any campaign is election day. You’ve done all you can do, made all of the phone calls, addressed envelopes, walked the neighborhoods, attended meetings and answered questions ... put it all out there on the line. On Tuesday the candidates realize that it’s now out of their control, that the people who will decide the outcome are those precious few who show up at the polls to cast a ballot, or have voted in advance.

So no matter which candidate you support I hope we can all show some grace and gratitude to everyone who has believed in the system, believe they can and will represent their community and stepped up.

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A funny thing happened on the way to Dublin, Ireland — Paris! Although I take advantage of our daughter’s airline perks throughout the year to find sunshine or visit friends and family, once a year she and I head off on an epic adventure. Last year was Amsterdam, and before that was London. So last week I met her at LAX, where we hitched a ride to New York, where we’d pick up a flight to Dublin.

After 19 years, we’re seasoned in traveling only with carry-ons and without a confirmed seat. It’s a little like rolling the dice. Right off the bat, we failed to get seats to JFK, which complicated catching the flight to Dublin. Since we were in the international terminal at LAX, Sarah suggested we look to see where other flights in that gate area were heading. Two gates down, a flight to Paris was boarding and the gate agents were gracious in confirming that it had open seats and, yes, they’d get us on. So less than 30 minutes after not getting on to New York, I was seated quite comfortably in a first-class seat on a direct flight to Paris.

We had a wonderful whirlwind time in Paris for three days. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre. We poked around dozens of little shops and took in sidewalk cafes on the cobblestone streets. We made a pilgrimage to Le Bon Marche’, founded in 1838 and known as the first modern department store.

We flew back — in coach. I spent the night with Sarah in Hollywood. Early the next morning I headed out of Burbank airport for Salt Lake City to connect to Spokane, hoping to make it home by noon. In Salt Lake I waited hopefully for a seat on the final leg of a 12,000-mile adventure. It wasn’t looking good: Several standbys and non-revs were lined up for not many open seats. The plane was boarded and they called the name ahead of me on the list for the last seat. He was an older fellow from Sandpoint and the gate agent told him it was his lucky day as she handed him a boarding pass. He and I had been chatting and he asked the agent, “What about her?” I said no worries, I’d try the next flight, telling him to buy a lottery ticket when he got home. With a smile he said, “It’s your lucky day” and handed me his boarding pass, encouraging me to take the seat. I said I couldn’t do that and he said, “Please, I really want you to have it so you can end your adventure on a happy note.”

I realized that he sincerely wanted to do this incredibly nice thing for a total stranger and that me refusing his generosity would deprive him of the experience. The gate agent changed the boarding pass to my name and I hugged my benefactor and headed down the ramp.

During the flight I reflected on why it seems to be more difficult to receive kindness than to give it. In my five days of meeting people from all over the world in airports, on planes, and on the streets of Paris it was a gentleman from Sandpoint, Idaho, who made the most lasting impact.

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Things to Do Highlights:

Tonight through Friday, Neon Jungle at Wired2Learn, 1800 N. Highway 41, from 6-9 p.m.

Trick or Treat on Halloween at Post Falls City Hall and the Post Falls Chamber from 2-4:30 p.m. Trick or Treat in downtown Coeur d’Alene, 4-6 p.m., and Trunk or Treat on Sixth and Sherman hosted by First Presbyterian Church.

Free CitiFall Festival on Halloween at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., hosted by Heart of the City Church.

Opening night Friday at 7:30 p.m., and on weekends through Nov. 10, Out of the Shadows Theater presents “The Music Man, Jr.” at the Kroc Center. Actors with special needs come out of the shadows and into the spotlight. It’s magical!

Saturday the Post Falls Food Bank’s annual fundraiser, Give Hunger the Bird, is from 5-9 p.m. at StanCraft in Hayden. Info: www.postfallsfoodbank.org

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour when you go to bed on Saturday night. The good news is that we get an extra hour of sleep this weekend ... but the bad news is that it’s now going to get dark by about 4:30 p.m. for months.

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Happy Birthday today to Rainey Coffin, Lori Dahlke, John Kelly, Lori Jurado, Vivian Stadley, Brad Oliver, Kay Mills and Derek McGee. Halloween birthdays for Kathy Prosser, RaeAnne Capaul, Krysta Huft, Amber Copeland, Tom Hasslinger, Rob Moser, Jabet Wheeler, Tyler Engelbrecht, Kevin Grady, Linda Haughton, Jaks Fowler and Susan Johnson.

First day of November birthdays belong to Brandon Burchfield, Randy Martens and Pam Jank. On Saturday Alex Capaul, Mike Miller, Alan Zerba, Charity Thompson and Kathleen Lazor take another trip around the sun. Sunday Helen Nuener, Jill Jurvelin, Hara Allison, Karen Pearl, Patty Harris, Tammy Bray, Darin Hanson, Jerry Mason, Tim Wark and Kelly Tuntland will blow out their birthday candles.

Alan Wolfe, Annie Mote, Angela Cross, Bryan Poland, Judy Jorgensen, Kirsten Donovan, Nancy White, Mic Armon, Julie Schmidt, twins Zachary and Ryan Englebrecht and father and son, Chris and Mitchell Copstead, were born on Nov. 4. Betty Baker, Laura Gray, Marijo Guindon, Debbie Boe, Heather Clark, Ken Brandvold, Marci Anderson and Kim Wilhelm will put on their party hats on Election Day.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.