Fear and Hope

So the big day is tomorrow (today now).  It's called a snap election and I've definitely felt the breakneck speed of it is.

From a couple of hours one afternoon delivering leaflets, to managing large complex print runs of campaign material, finding myself with the keys to not just one but two campaign offices in my pocket late one night and now tomorrow I've been elevated to the lofty heights of captain of a polling district.

It's been utterly crazy.  And enjoyable.  Even coming from an industry which is habitually last minute, endlessly changing, high risk and demanding many late hours, from my tiny corner of perspective I've felt this election you ramp up.

I gave more than I was expecting to, and I got back more than I anticipated.  Tomorrow is, on a personal level, terrifying in many ways.  It's placing me reasonably far out of my comfort zone, and for a pretty decent period of time.  But because people have recognised my enthusiasm and my capability, because I've been able to find worth in my contributions, I've allowed myself to get swept up by the torrent of energy this campaign has demanded and I'm willing to rise to the challenge.

On a selfish level, it will hopefully help me to work on problems I've been trying to fix for a long time.  But that's not why I agreed to it.  I'm doing it because I believe in the campaign - in what the Lib Dems are fighting for and what they represent.

I am fighting with all my heart tomorrow because I genuinely believe in what I'm doing, and the passion I've found in everyone else I've been around the last few weeks has just further cemented my own passion for it too.  I hope the Lib Dems do well, I hope Simon Hughes gets elected because it would be the best reward for all the effort I've put in, but if he doesn't I won't regret it.

I will continue to fight, and I have found people who will fight alongside me.  And if you're in the district I'm captaining tomorrow, you better vote early, or I'll be knocking on your door non-stop till you do!