“You should write a book.” Every time I hear that, I cringe. Only remarkable people should write books because they have something to give the world. The rest of us…
“More interesting on the internet than real life.” Scott English, self description
When you live in the world of politics, you get trust and access to other people’s stories. It’s hardly fair to peel back some of those layers later in life just to make a few bucks. To be perfectly honest, after spending most of my adult life with political people, it turns out they’re not as interesting as you might think.
Remember in high school when the Yearbook staff organized the club photos? They were hastily arranged pictures on your worst hair day wearing a band T-shirt you definitely did not want memorialized for the rest of time. It was then and there I mastered, Not Pictured. Sadly, it was not perfected until later years, but my high school yearbooks are largely devoid of Scott English pictures.
In politics, I took this to a whole new level, cultivating an image of being the Jackal (felt more than seen). In the 1990s, I worked on the staff of then (and now) U.S. Representative Mark Sanford (SC-1). In his first round through Congress, Sanford limited himself to three terms meaning he was to depart after the 2000 elections. In the waning days of his third term, Sanford asked the Washington staff to join him on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to take a group shot. It’s a sharp looking group and one “not pictured.”
I can only imagine that my former co-workers have forgiven my transgression of being a ghost in the last staff photo. If they had known then what they know now, they might have missed this photo too.
In my case, I was cultivating an air of mystery to add a little fear to the equation. Combine that with habits picked up from professional wrestling and the wild card instincts of the youngest child, and I managed to bluff. A lot.
In the abstract, I have been blessed to live an adventure of a life: from a very young age to this very day and hopefully for a few more decades. Where am I going with all of this? I have no idea.
If not for those of us in the background, the politicians stories would be even less interesting.
Sometimes despite us.
Good read, Scott. You were definitely a master of “behind the scenes”. I hope all is well.
Thank you! The next post is coming tomorrow. All is great, hope you are well.
So that’s why I could never get a picture of you. You were an elusive target because you wanted to be an elusive target.
Can’t wait until the next post…very interesting.
I did my absolute best to stay out of the picture. That worked until about 2009.
Maybe that’s why we left room for the Holy Ghost in the photo.