Web Log
Sep 28, 02:01 AM | Author: head zoo keeper | Category: 2004 campaign
Postering
It is 2:57am. I just got home after postering the Mission with 6 friends- all community organizers and artists that I work with.
Armed with ladders, posters stapled on wooden sticks, tape, potato chips, water and two cars, we hustled down to the Castro and Noe Valley to check on signs that may need to be replaced before hitting the Mission, our destination for the night.
Ollie, Sam, Marking, Jim, Carolyn and Scott (who had a fractured rib and still came out!) were troopers—super energetic, methodical and fearless. Climbing 6-7 feet ladders, with nothing but concrete to catch you, can be intimidating. Scott insisted on personally carrying a ladder from 24th to 16th street.
I can’t believe we hit all the corridors we wanted. We headed out around 10:30pm and just worked the streets. It was a positive feeling, knowing that we are running a very grassroots, community-based campaign.
While postering, I met a young woman on 24th who taught special ed in SFUSD but had been laid off a year ago. She stopped us and we chatted about schools and youth programs in SF. Just watching us carrying and climbing ladders earned her vote tonight. One of the parts that I love about campaigning is meeting incredibly interesting people on the streets or at different community events that I would never have otherwise met.
Two Saturdays ago, after I had gone to a workshop, Korean Culture Festival and a merchant walk in the Mission, I drove by Noe Valley to check on my friends and former students that were postering. (Tim, Leonard, Moe, Dave, Bonnie, Gordon, Truman). It was difficult to watch my friends get up on ladders, tape up posters and march to the next sign pole. They had been working for hours and were tired. I learned that moment that one of the harder parts of campaigning is watching my friends, colleguages and students work so hard for the campaign. Guilt swept through me and I wondered how I could deserve all this free, grueling labor.
I realized how much love and dedication I am surrounded by. And I felt incredibly humbled. It is a challenge for me- to be a better person, candidate and advocate for our communities.
Many folks have a stake and ownership in this campaign, given through sweat, time and love. And I need to work harder to earn this already given faith. The people that contribute to your campaign—they are who you feel accountable to. I have really felt this on this campaign. I feel good that the people in this campaign are other organizers, community advocates, artists and youth. I feel good being very beholden to them.
The first wave of burnout in campaigning happens about now. I am seeing it in other campaigns and I felt the beginnings of it in our’s.
I want to dedicate this entry to all my friends and volunteers in this campaign, who may have felt the burn, but worked right through it. Thank you for your love and dedication.
And special thanks to the field organizers (the people calling and organizing other volunteers)—Dave (who left a splinter in his hand for a full week after postering), Carolyn, Moe, Annie, Diana, Rosa, Tim, Wendell, O.
There is a definite second wind in this campaign.
········· ∞∞∞ ·········