chez Kirby

Tonight, after months of urging from my most insightful friend Jess, I watched the movie Amazing Grace. And now I can’t sleep. I think Jess understands me better than I do myself. Her sell to me on this movie was something like, “It made me believe in politics. Imagine what it will do for you!”

It’s a beautiful movie. And my rapture was certainly enhanced by the fact that Ioan Gruffudd, the actor that plays the film’s hero, happens to have an uncanny resemblance to my husband. Romance aside, it was a very good story, that has given me some inspiration for my own political aspirations.

William Wilberforce, who pushed the British to abolish slavery, didn’t quit. It took him close to twenty years to have his bill passed in parliament. He suffered horrible personal torment in those twenty years, but he was unstoppable.

He was also an Evangelical Christian, which makes me laugh. I am often reminded, rather reluctantly, that politics and religion are not so dissimilar. In fact, it was by good luck for history that William Wilberforce did not abandon his political career for that of the Church. I’d like to give away the plot here with an example, but I think you should see the movie first.

Not limiting himself to just abolitionist work, he dedicated his life to what he called his “two great objects:” abolishing slavery in the British Empire and what he called “the reformation of manners [society].” To this end, he advocated for child labor laws, campaigned for education of the blind and deaf, and founded organizations as diverse as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and the National Gallery (of Art). “Good causes,” it has been said, “stuck to him like pins to a magnet.”

From Wilberforce biographer and Amazing Grace lead historical consultant, Kevin Belmonte

Which leads me to think about what on Earth I am going to do about all this passion I’m walking around with inside. It certainly comes and goes, and right now I’m starting to feel another wave of energy for my child care cause. I am building towards a campaign in January and February that will hopefully bring this issue to it’s end. Wouldn’t that be a miracle? That I happen to get on the bandwagon just in time to enjoy the last hurrah? I certainly hope I am so lucky. A twenty year fight, from what the movie portrays, does not look so appealing.

I also wonder if a woman could do what he did. It nearly kills Wilberforce, and he does the good majority of the work before he meets his wife, and has his six children with her. Something to think about for sure. But, it seems to me that the ball is already rolling on this issue, with the passing of the BC NDP’s Nomination Review Committee report at our Convention in November.

This is a start to making it easier for women to participate in Politics, and not just politics. With the right support, and the right changes to the system (which will take at least 20 years, no doubt), women will want to participate as candidates, rather than support a man, that they hope will fight and vote for women’s issues in the House.

We have our first meeting in January, and I’m looking forward to getting started on just how we’ll implement these changes. It feels like a weighty responsibility, but I’m sure once we get to work, I’ll feel that lift a little. At least I can say to myself that I am willing to be apart of the solution, otherwise it would be too scary to participate politically myself. This way, I know I’m working towards making it easier, not just for me, but for all women to consider being a candidate for election.

I am happy I watched the movie now, just before the start of a new year, and just before what feels like the last push for the child care bill. It’s nice to be heading off into a new year feeling good, feeling inspired, and feeling that I’ve got some purpose. To be honest, the last few days I’ve been struggling to get here. I think I can probably easily blame Christmas, with all that build up, there’s bound to be some let down, even though this year was quieter and less frenzied than most.

With all this quiet time over the holidays, I’ve had some time to navel-gaze. I have a clearer vision of how I am going to accomplish my lofty goals of election in 2008. I’ve had a hard time imagining myself in such a public role, after nearly three years of being the stay-at-home Mum. It’s a little frightening, but I know it’s what I have to do. I am very much motivated by politics, so much so, that the career path seems obvious now, even if getting elected doesn’t.

I have so much work to do on myself, before I’ll be the perfect person I would expect to vote for, but I’m starting to realize that’s an impossible dream. What do they say? Nobody’s perfect? I wish that didn’t apply to me. I will have to suffer the embarrassment of all my poor performances in public as a politician. But saying it out loud for the internet to hear, makes it somehow easier to swallow.

So I keep reminding myself that with every election, I’ll get better at it. I’ll learn to speak my mind, without losing my temper, or saying things I don’t mean. I’ll stay on my message. I’ll learn the rules. I’ll learn, and I’ll get better. But perfect? It’s not wrong to try, but it’s probably not going to be very much fun.

The election is a little more than eleven months away. I have to do some work on my public speaking, and Jess has already been encouraging me to start attending Toastmasters. The thing that scares me is where will I find time, and who will look after the kids? I have all these commitments, and I’ll have to find time, while not taking away from doing a good job of looking after the kids. Not to mention the most lofty of all my goals for 2008, losing 10 pounds! I have somehow stopped exercising completely in the last six months, and I’m reaching critical mass, both emotionally and quite literally. It’s all a bit daunting.

And then I remember that there is always a way. There are all these women out there doing it all already. They find a way. I will too.