To the editor:

If you thought this campaign season was grueling, you won't hear any argument from me. Perhaps you associate this past campaign cycle with ad hominem attacks, negative rhetoric, and strangers arguing on Facebook. As someone who stumped for candidates and helped manage a social media page (Riverside Ward 4 Committee), I was well-aware of such happenings.

Yet, despite all of this, many of you left me with both a sense of satisfaction and with reason for hope. Amidst all of the negativity, I want to highlight some of my positive experiences:

The strangers who offered me a glass of water during a warm afternoon on the campaign trail.

People I met who fondly remembered some of my departed family members.

A neighbor who guided me on a tour of her impressive Halloween display that awaited trick-or-treaters.

Two friends of different political stripes who joked about their underwhelming teams in their shared fantasy league.

A boy of no more than five years old who asked if I wanted to meet his Great Dane puppy, Cookie Dough. (I sadly had to decline the invitation to meet the good dog, though I imagine it was the size of an adult retriever.)

These are the experiences that I’ll remember most. I like to believe these behaviors are most reflective of who we are as Townies, neighbors, and human beings.

We can’t assume this, though, nor take our good nature for granted. Election cycles act as a mirror for who we are. Our community's character is reflected not just in where we currently are, what we want our city to be, and how we vote accordingly. Our character is also reflected in how we act towards one another during both these times and all others.

If disaster struck, I imagine that many of us would help our neighbors to the extent possible. We don’t need such extraordinary circumstances to remind us how to act. We can see our community’s benevolence in charity drives, community events, and everyday interactions between friends and strangers alike at our favorite locales. Such tight-knit bonds are part of why I’m proud to call EP home.

If you ask me, the way our bonds are reflected in these actions best represents “Townie Pride.” I hope we will remember to channel such benevolence at all times and in all forums; it would give us another reason to be proud to call this place home.

Many of you have given me a reason for such hope for this prospect, and for that, I'm thankful.

P.S. - I hope to see you around, Cookie Dough!

Matthew T. Heffner
Riverside