The O'Toole Chronicles: Cat’s in the Cradle and Political Ambition
Author's summary: Reflections on politics and ambition.
My child arrived just the other day He came to the world in the usual way But there were planes to catch and bills to pay He learned to walk when I was My child arrived just the other day He came to the world in the usual way But there were planes to catch and bills to pay He learned to walk when I was away And he was talking ‘fore I knew it and as he grew He’d say, “I’m gonna be just like you, dad You know, I’m gonna be just like you”
— Harry Chapin, Cat’s in the Cradle
I recall my first term on the Cedar Grove Council, where I believed I could change the world and help everyone. I worked tirelessly to make the world a better place, driven by enthusiasm, energy, and a pure heart, though also marked by innocence and naivety.
In those days, I would leap out of bed each morning, thinking about and working on politics, attempting to attend to every constituent need.