The cynic in me is fully formed, especially when it comes to members of Congress and other leaders of this nation. One in particular.
The longer one lives, the less starry-eyed and naive one is liable to become. The veneer fades, the shine comes off the apple with regard to people you might have viewed at one time as pedestal worthy- above the fray, honorable, courageous, and wise. Even those who may exhibit these attributes from time to time are now guilty by association. It’s too much work to sort people out.
It’s not clear to me what motivates people to run for public office. Is it altruistic public service, or just self-serving power grab? Maybe they like the give and take, the jousting. Or, heaven forbid, the art of the deal.
Maybe they just like the benefits.
Perhaps this jaded view is all because I am no longer looking up to my elders. I am becoming an elder, and I have a less naive view of how the world apparently works. I am less trusting, less sure that people in positions of power actually know what they’re doing, or that they care about the people who elected them.
Yikes. I’m not always this bleak.