Bring on the election
The life of an appointee. A while back, I traded being nervous every two years for being nervous every four. Seems like an improvement, but still, it’s unsettling to have your job depend entirely on factors that are totally beyond your control, and knowing that that will be decided on a given day. I expect this will be my last go-round through an election cycle; time to do something else. Figuring out what that is is another prospect entirely. I’ve already been in this job much longer than most; it’s not a position with a particularly high survival rate. I love it and think I’ve done a lot of good. My kids almost understand what I do, and I’d like to think they’ll be proud of it someday. Any other job seems like less. Any other job probably IS less. No desire to move to Washington. Or even New York — I just can’t see how to raise a family there in the way I want to do it. And I don’t see myself as a corporate asshole whose job is to screw another corporation’s assholes out of money, so I’m a little self-limiting. And lobbying is unattractive. Consulting? Well, if I have to.
Anyway, can’t wait until it’s over with, we’re secure and can do the work of the people for another four years.