The Day I Found Dirt in my Soul

Dad and Michelle at Brownie Scout Costume party.

Dad was running for Elma Town Supervisor.

Dad was dressed as Elvis wearing political shirt that said:

"Vote for Elma Town Supervisor Robert M. Kuebler."

Dad didn't win the election but he didn't care, because he's got Michelle.

Both opponents agreed that here would be no negative campaigning. I was elated, we could spend our time discussing issues and ideas that would help make our community a better place. I abhorred the negativity of political campaigns and I wanted to distance myself as far as possible from that type of behavior. My focus was on being positive, at least that's what I thought. Sometimes our best intentions are skewered by hidden pride.

 We were running for Elma Town Supervisor. I had always told people that I was not a very political guy. As proof of that, I was a registered Republican asked by the Democrats to run for Elma Town Supervisor. I realized I was staring defeat in the face from the beginning. This was a Town with a very heavy Republican enrollment, a large number of senior citizens, low taxes and a fairly popular Republican incumbent. Why would I bother to run against her? I was President of the Iroquois School Board at the time and I thought we could do more for kids. My platform, so to speak, was based on issues related to children.

"I thought we could discuss issues related to children."

At one election event, I was introduced to  Democratic Party Leaders which included some high ranking County Officials. I was asked if I would give out jobs to Democrats if I was elected. I replied that I would give jobs to people who were qualified for the job. They did not like that answer, so they asked another question similar to the first. They asked if both people were equally qualified, would I favor the Democrat. I said no, there is usually someone who needs the job more than the next person because of life pressures. I told them if both people were equally qualified and equally needy, I would flip a coin - I would play no favorites. There no standing ovations that day. When it was over, the Democratic Chairman in charge of my campaign quit. He said that if I would not offer jobs to people who worked on my campaign, then nobody would work on my campaign and then he was gone.

Riding in a Cadillac with my daughter Michelle

while throwing candy to the folks watching the parade.

This was the kick off to election season.

The political  experts who knew how to campaign told me to do some "door to door" campaigning. Most people seemed to form an opinion about me before I even opened my mouth. This made me very uncomfortable although we met some nice folks along the way. Sometimes I took my daughter Michelle who I call Beauty. They were always nice to her. One day, we visited a lama farm and the owner was a kind woman who invited us out to the barn to see the lamas. I was overjoyed, lamas would be a welcome relief from all of this campaigning stuff. We walked into the barn and the woman walked into a corralled area containing lamas. She said you could get them to kiss you and she puckered up to demonstrate and the lama obliged her by doing its own puckering and they kissed. She urged me to try it. I puckered up and the lama promptly stuck out its tongue as it blew air through its lips and backed away from me. It was the ultimate rejection. Here I was; a politician who hadn't kissed a baby and I was rejected by a lama!

"Here I was; a politician who hadn't kissed a baby

and I was rejected by a lama!"

My opponent and I debated several times. Most folks seemed to think I did fairly well, although there was nothing to suggest that I'd influenced enough votes to change my status as an underdog. Election Day came and there were some very strange things that happened that I still don't understand. It is possible to sabotage the political process in very subtle ways. I don't think anything that was done really changed the outcome. The Town of Elma was in pretty decent shape and did not need a major over haul. I lost the election by a large margin and it was over. Even though I knew I was an underdog, I still hurt with disappointment. In any election, it is very easy to portray any negative traits or opinions regarding your opponent as fodder for gossip. I thought I was above that.

The week after the Election, I went to our weekly Men's Bible Study at the Elma United Methodist Church. The Rev. Dr. Peter LeValley was the Pastor back in those days. I remember walking into the Church in a sullen and somber mood. He smiled and said that the people just knew my opponent better and name recognition was a major factor in any election. Before I could stop the words from coming out of my mouth, I blurted out: "If they really knew her, they wouldn't have voted for her!" I feel the filth of those words even now many years later. The realization that I had become what I detested hit me immediately like a blast of filthy sewage. Wallowing in my own self pity, I took a shot at another person's character. I had allowed myself to be tainted by the creature that I had so desperately sought to distance my self from. Pride, haughtiness, arrogance and judgementalism had crept into my soul. What I thought was an impregnable strength in my character had become a revolting and repulsive weakness. Tears formed in my eyes and began to roll down my face. I felt like a dirt bag.

Elma United Methodist Church was a place of heart and soul cleansing.

I learned a lot from that mixed up episode in my life. I learned that cracks in the foundation of our character can weaken our strengths if we don't spend time guarding them from erosion. I have no desire to enter in to the political arena again. However, God has a way of rerouting our well laid life plans. I will go where He sends me. I am a country boy at heart who is more comfortable in the forests and mountains. The last 10 years of my life have been spent in the heart of a City called Buffalo, New York. I have been blessed with the opportunity to take young people from the streets of Buffalo into the wilderness and help them prepare to climb the mountains of life. I will go wherever God wants me to go. "Here am I send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

The only election I'm sure of is electing Jesus in my heart.

  Today's Wise Saying is from Proverbs 23:17-18.

Proverbs 23:17-18

New International Version (NIV)

Saying 15

¹⁷ Do not let your heart envy sinners,
    but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
¹⁸ There is surely a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18

The Message (MSG)

14

^17-18 Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels;
    soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—
That’s where your future lies.
    Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing.

Proverbs 23:17-18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁷ Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long.

¹⁸ For surely there is a latter end [a future and a reward], and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
¹⁸ For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

I was looking through my High School Code of Conduct from St. Francis HS. this morning. I saw that we would repeat the Prayer of St. Francis every morning. I think that prayer would be good as a mantra for anyone seeking political office or just trying to live in a neighborly way.

 Heart-Storming Challenge:

• How do you guard your strengths?
• When have you been humbled by the Holy Spirit?
• How do you teach what you have learned?

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice foe somebody.

Jesus loves you and so do we.