Pattye Benson

Life is about facing challenges and obstacles.  How we face those challenges and how we get to the other side is what makes the journey all the more interesting.  My latest challenge was the election and how I would get to the other side.  I may have lost the election but this past 9 months confirmed my commitment to the community.  I remain committed that our community needs to be represented and needs to have a voice. The voter turnout for this recent election was very low, probably somewhere between 20-25% of the registered voters.  It will be those people that came out and voted that will be deciding our future.  This still leaves about 75-80% of our registered voters, plus many more unregistered voters whose voice will not be ‘technically heard’. 

Which brings me to the point of this blog entry.  I made a decision today.  I have decided to continue my blog – obviously no longer as a candidate but as a person who believes that community matters.  I have discovered that I enjoy writing and now this will allow me a vehicle to comment.  My comments will not be about politics, because as we now know — I’m no politician.  I was involved in the community with all my activities before and during the campaign and I am now picking up where I dropped off.  Going forward, I will comment on community activities, events and people as I feel appropriate.

For me, getting past the challenge of last week’s election, means becoming proactive.  Proactive will take the form of writing on this blog.

Yesterday was Election Day in Tredyffrin Township and today has been a difficult day for me. The outcome was not what I expected, nor was it what I wanted for this community.  I lost the election as well as did my other 2 running mates, Sean Moir and Eamon Brazunas.  In my world of looking for the ‘best’ in people, I fear that the residents of our community lost more than just having these three people serve as Supervisors.  Together with Sean and Eamon, I truly believed that we represented the right reason for serving the community.  Idealistic and committed to the community, we share a passion and enthusiasm with background of community service that was unmatched in our opponents.  The three of us always took the higher road in this campaign, believing all the while that the ‘good guys’ would finish first.  Not so this time.  Our combined 30 years of experience, education and committment was no match. 

We were not prepared to counter the lies and misleading attacks of our opponents.  Just not interested in further dividing the community with the same type of negative campaigning, all in the name of ‘politics’.  We knew the people that came to the polls to cast their vote for us . . . those people believed in us and we would not let them down.  They believed that we could make this a better place . .  one where everyone worked together; a place where your word meant something.  Today I can look in the mirror and take comfort in knowing that I am may not have been elected, but I know I am a better person than some of my opponents. 

Do I regret the time and energies spent on this campaign?  Absolutely.  Do I regret trying to make a difference in our community?  Never.  The eternal optimist, I find the ‘rose-colored’ glasses are a bit smudged, and a little cynicism has crept in to my thoughts today.  I am hopeful that with some time and distance to be able to get back some of my spirit that I lost while on this journey. 

To my many friends and neighbors, and people that I met a long the way, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  I am only sorry that I will not have the opportunity to be your Supervisor and help to make a difference in Tredyffrin Township.