I have worn out many shoes in the past 81 years, marching, ringing doorbells for worthy causes and candidates.
I stood in solidarity with loggers, paper mill workers, coal miners and school teachers on strike.
I stood for racial and gender equality, to end wars against Cuba, Vietnam and Iraq.
I wore out plenty of shoe leather here in Clallam County.
I was never alone. I swam in the mainstream even if sometimes it was as shallow as an irrigation ditch.
The Nov. 2 landslide gave us joy.
The winner was medical science, health and healing, transparent government, racial and gender equality.
In a word, democracy.
We defeated bully tactics, white supremacy, redbaiting, medical quackery and QAnon lunacy.
We stood for months with yard signs for five Good Governance city council candidates in Sequim, four incumbent city council candidates in Port Angeles, the hospital commissioners, school board members and fire commissioner.
Motorists greeted us with honking horns and thumbs up.
Voter turnout was 48 percent countywide and a stunning 58 percent in Sequim, a clean sweep for stellar candidates.
Vicki Lowe, is the first descendant of the Jamestown S’Klallams ever elected to the Sequim City Council; LaTrisha Suggs, a member of the Lower Elwha Klallams was reelected to the Port Angeles City Council.
Yet the sign that got the most honks was for a woman not even on the ballot.
It read, “Thank You Dr. Berry For Saving Lives.”
Tim Wheeler
Sequim