Yikes! I volunteered to write content for a candidate's website!

This is much more of a semi-public rant than a question, but I need to get it out of my system. The issue is that I volunteered to write content for an aldermanic candidate's campaign website. The current alderman for Chicago's 50th ward, Bernie Stone, has been in his seat for thirty years, and he has racked up scandal after scandal, but nobody has beaten him yet. I decided that rather than come to DU and complain about it, I should actually do something about it--which led me to Naisy Dolar, who is running for the seat. Determined to swallow my fear, I walked into her campaign office this afternoon and volunteered to be a poll watcher. I also volunteered to write a small article about the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day event that the campaign is hosting tomorrow night.

It is now a few hours later, and I'm playing with ideas. I am supposed to write 300-500 words summarizing how Ms. Dolar's work is and will be informed by Dr. King's ideas regarding service to the community, and I am supposed to include quotes from two people at tomorrow's event. I am currently flipping madly through my copy of Don't Think of an Elephant and flying around the Web reading about Dr. King's ideas regarding public service, and I'm trying to synthesize a frame from the information about Dr. King and the information that I have about Ms. Dolar. My article will be posted tomorrow night after the event.

I am also starting to panic. What if I am not able to write a decent article? What's my frame? How did I let myself get involved in this?

Slap me, somebody!

Now SNAP OUT OF IT!

You will write a GREAT article. You wouldn't have volunteered to do so if your inner self wasn't confident that you have the talent to pull it off.

Now that you've let the perspiration out of your system, allow inspiration to take over...

You'll be fine!

I don't know why I'm so nervous. I am actually paid to write during the week, so why would a voluteer gig rattle my cage? Okay, I'm better now. Thanks!

You knew you could do it, so you volunteered. All that's left is abandoning the sudden angst and letting your fingers fly.

:)

Do you remember when that idiot Sanders had the divider built up Howard Street back when the Target at Kedzie was built because of the traffic issues??? What an eejit. It was described as an apartheid type thing. Everybody still patronized the Target and the other stores in that shopping center, he just made it difficult to get to. And the damn thing was eventually taken down.

Good luck with the campaign. I am now living in the 'burbs and feel a certain disconnect from the old 48th Ward where I lived.

Hey, it has been a while! How are you? Do miss the old 'hood? I miss Edgewater a little, but as you can see, I'm getting into the swing of things in Rogers Park.

And the purchasers of the house got transferred to Akron, Ohio, of all places, and it just got re-sold. It makes me feel farther away from Edgewater. I was there Thursday, and went up to St. Francis for a mammogram. Drove up Sheridan Road. It was the first time in months since I had seen Lake Michigan. I miss the lake. Actually, the last time I saw Lake Michigan, I was IN Michigan.

Good luck with your candidate!