Editor:

And the winner is … not me! Losing is not what one hopes for when running in a local election as I did running for City Council in Fairhope.

No victory this time. However, there were many rewards. The biggest of which was meeting so many wonderful people as I knocked on the doors of Fairhope citizens. Like the father with two young boys who explained to them about an election and why I was there.

“This gentleman wants to serve our city,” he said. “So he is walking around asking us questions and giving us information about himself.”

Or the 80-year-old lady who invited me in to “sit on the davenport” and “let me tell you why I love Fairhope.”

“You remind me of Arthur, who also cared about our town,” she said, and then proceeded to tell me about their wonderful 40 years together in Fairhope.

And then there were the countless number of folks who would offer me water in the 90 degree heat or say come in and cool off for awhile. People would thank me for my willingness to take the time and energy to run for office. And of course, there were the wonderful animals who often were the first ones to greet me.

Yes I lost and congratulations to the winners. However, there are many rewards in losing. I have met so many wonderful people who care and love our city. If you voted for me, thank you. If you didn’t, that’s OK, maybe next time. My sincere gratitude to those who supported and worked for my campaign. Your friendship and hard work will always be remembered. Although there can be only one winner, losing does have its rewards.

Fairhope resident