I ran into one of my fellow Road Trippers and told him I had no signatures. I wasn’t getting this and was ready to give up.
It wasn’t the rejection. I can handle people saying they don't like Nader or want to vote for Obama (I disagree principally but it doesn’t stop me). I just was losing confidence and didn’t feel like approaching people anymore.
The IL state coordinator agreed to work with me around 4 pm in the afternoon after I had been sulking, pouting, and being a fool. He coached me and helped me establish persona to approach people with.
I got some pep in my step and started really aggressively going after people.
I matched yesterday’s 10 signatures and got 11 signatures on Wednesday.
Tomorrow, I’ll find out if I have worked through my personal hang-ups like I’ve been telling people. But, Wednesday, I was ready to give up.
I wanted to give up until I thought to myself how essential it is to my future in political activism and public service to be able to fearless approach people. I’m not ashamed to say that I am not a good capitalist, but I need to develop a capacity to sell democracy.
The non-white population has helped me get comfortable with petitioning. It’s the white males that really are a pain
“Ralph Nader! Not again! He takes votes away from people.” And then, “I agree with what you are doing but I just can’t.” And they just watch you giving your pitch to get them to sign with that underhanded grin.
I’m out here giving Illinois voters more voices and more choices.
To petition successfully for anything, it can’t be about you. It has to be about having fun and promoting your candidate or the initiative you are petitioning for.
This is a political civil rights struggle as well as the acquiring of a new skill. And the options are innumerable if you push through the impediments and obstacles to truly take a stand for a more robust and vibrant democracy.
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