Anticipating the start of Town Meeting

This Saturday afternoon is chilly and damp, and I’m sitting indoors thinking about the fact that Town Meeting begins Monday evening.

Maybe it is the gloomy weather shaping my mood, but I am not excited for Monday to get here.

Ask any representative at any level of government and they’ll tell you that they love serving in their elected office.

I do love it.

There is something exceptionally satisfying about showing up and attempting to do the best you can by your neighbors.

Today though, I’m dreading Monday evening.

If it were only this coming Monday evening it wouldn't be that bad.

This Monday will be followed by Wednesday, and then Monday and Wednesday the week after that, and the week after that, etc.

Three hours of my evenings will be taken up two nights a week for a while now with meetings.

Here’s something about me: given a choice between going out and doing something or staying at home, I’ll choose staying at home, sitting on my sofa, spending time with my wife and my dog 100% of the time.

Despite being someone who spends a lot of time reaching out to other people, I’m really an introvert.

Spending time surrounded by other people drains me, and demands that I find some quiet time away from people to recharge.

There is something deeply rewarding about seriously contemplating things that may not sound all that exciting but taken together define what it is like to live in our community.

On the other hand, it isn't all that clear at all that you make much of a difference.

Sure, someone needs to show up and do the job; but by and large anyone else could show up and do the job just as well.

What’s worse is that you end up emotionally invested in some of the issues that come before us.

Everyone in town remembers the recent debate we had over leaf blowers.

Here’s a not so secret fact: how leaf blowers are used or not used in town has almost no impact whatsoever on my own personal life.

Yet I've spent many hours thinking on the issue, weighing the impacts of policies both on those that use the machines and those that don’t, trying to arrive at the best decision I possibly can, that represents the best move forward for everyone in my neighborhood.

I have lain awake at night, grappling with what the proper use of a leaf blower should be.

If the sun burst forth this afternoon, and all my neighbors and I walked outside, not one in ten on my street would know I served on Town Meeting.

So where are the silver linings to go with today’s gray clouds?

The answer to that is simple.

There are 250 others, give or take a few, who will join me on Monday night.

There are a dozen others in town who hold elected office and give up far more hours to meetings than we on Town Meeting do.

And there are hundreds of Arlington residents dedicating countless hours on voluntary boards and commissions, seeing that the business of our town is done, making Arlington a wonderful place to live.

So many people, putting in an enormous quantity of hours on mostly mundane items when they’d rather be at home with their families.

Even though the last thing you want to do is head out the door and give up another night to a meeting, you feel richer and more complete for doing it.

So much so that somewhat unbelievably, you find yourself full of gratitude to your neighbors for the privilege.

That’s how I’m feeling this afternoon, thinking about the fact that Town Meeting begins this Monday.