Like the old Energizer Bunny commercial, here I am, still going… and getting heavily persuaded to serve as President of a local public service group.

Say what?

…for purposes of this ol’ boot blog, I shan’t name the organization else it would reveal too much about my alter ego — that is, my real identity.

But the “election season” for this voluntary public service group has been hot and heavy. The building where the group does its work and is based is undergoing a multi-million dollar upgrade and expansion. The new space will be beautiful, but what comes with it is strife about space assignments, especially between paid and volunteer staff.

In my past life, I was a national leader in an organization that also was led by volunteers, but employed a talented professional staff. There always were tensions between the two groups. I worked hard and found ways to compromise and build consensus as we moved toward our common mission-driven goal.

That experience was not unnoticed when it came to the current group of which I am a volunteer life member.

So when the current President announced that he was retiring and moving out-of-state, and the Vice President also announced his departure, it left a void of experienced people at the helm.

I was asked to run for office, and declined. I have an already busy-enough life without having to add more to my plate.

But the pressure was intense. Calls and emails from members, leaders on the paid side of the organization, and even some elected officials continued to pour in.

So let’s say that after lots of negotiation, I accepted the nomination and got elected, but under my terms: that I mentor someone over the next year. I will serve for one year, then step down and my mentee will take over. (And yeah, these boots shown here will be mighty busy!)

Meanwhile, the perks of this compromise are already paying off… one of my buddies who was pushing me to take on this role is a skilled mechanic. He fixed a major issue with my old truck’s engine that was driving me nuts! The engine purrs like a kitten now. Yay! I got my truck back! (This is the vehicle I use to haul loads of dirty, messy, bulky “stuff” I use for home repairs and remodeling projects as well as my Seniors. I can fit 2x as many LOLITS and all their groceries in this truck than another vehicle we own.)

Election the other night. Just call me “Landslide BHD.” Oh brother, Ollie. What nice mess have you gotten me into this time?

Life is short: serve.

Note: pardon references to folklore characters and expressions made famous during my baby boomer lifetime. You young-un millennials won’t understand. But that’s okay. There’s room in this world for all of us. 🙂