A Capitol Idea…

Recently, I took my 10 year old son Samuel to the Official Swearing in Ceremony of the Boise City Council.  It was held in the historic Boise Depot built in 1925.  I thought it was important that he gain some “practical” understanding of the process of making a commitment to public service and all that it encompassed.   He was really NOT very excited about the prospect.  I asked him what he expected would happen at the ceremony and between grunts he uttered “people standing up in the front talking, then other people taking the stage talking and more talking.”   Well he did get quite a bit of talk between the farewell to a retiring member, the swearing in of each individual member, their thank yous and the business that had to be conducted by the new Council before the meeting’s adjournment.  I do hope that he also gained an understanding and was impressed by the commitment these volunteers make of their time, energy and intellect to serve the citizens of our city.  While kids study the structure and function of government, they don’t always understand how their everyday lives are affected by it.  Samuel just came in to ask me what I was working on.  I read my draft to him and he crafted this last line which seemed a good ending.  “It may not always be as exciting as a good Star Wars battle, but paying attention and participating is important.”