Junkie

  As most of you know, I am a political junkie.  I have been addicted to politics for most of my life.  My mother's side of the family had political lives, and I just grew up with it.  As I got older, politics were even more in my life, because I worked on political campaigns for folks from both parties.  I have never been a Republican or a Democrat.  I vote for the person and not the party.  I also believe that a person's vote should be a private matter in the voting booth.  It may be interesting for you to know that I have voted for more Republicans than Democrats who ran for President, but I have voted for more Democrats than Republicans in local races.  It has kind of worked out that way.  

 My brother has been in politics most of his adult life.  He has done public relations for campaigns, and he has written speeches for elected officials.  His main desire has been to stay in the background and let the candidate get the glory.  When Jim Hodges was elected to be the Governor of South Carolina, he nominated my brother to be the director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for the State.  It was a perfect fit for my brother.  I went to the swearing in at the State House.  I wore my best suit, which was a little tight and worn. I found out later that one could see through it in the light.  Thank goodness for underwear.  The Governor was there.  He was very nice, and I have a picture of the two of us meeting one another.  

 A couple of months later, he and his wife opened up the Governor's Mansion for Christmas.  I was in line to shake hands with the two of them.  I shook hands with the Governor and told him my name.  He had remembered me from the swearing in.  He turned to his wife and said that I was John Durst's brother.  In her Southern drawl, she said:  "Hey, how are youuuuu"?  There was a TV camera there, and my interaction with Mrs. Hodges got on TV.  It was kind of funny and embarrassing at the same time.

 Then, there was Douglas Kiker.  He was a graduate of PC and had come to the school for a lecture on journalism.  He was a political reporter for NBC.  He told the story about being outside in the snow during the Nixon inauguration in Washington.  It was very cold that day, and he had an earpiece connecting him to the NBC control truck.  Doug was freezing, and he was hearing the folks in the truck telling him how warm it was in the truck.  Even though Doug was very mad at what he was hearing in his ear, he had to keep his concentration.  I remembered that story, because it taught me how to concentrate on the stage no matter what was happening around me.  Doug was very easy to talk to, and he had great stories about the human sides of politicians.  He left us too soon.