Wednesday, November 14, 2012

To TEA or not to TEA (Party, that is)!

I have been a defacto TEA Party leader for the past year in my area.  I basically inherited the leadership position, although I'm not necessarily someone who has leadership qualities.  To be perfectly honest, I was excited about the opportunity at first, and really worked hard to see the most conservative candidates become our GOP candidates in the Texas Primary and our local school board election in May. 

Then, life happened this past spring.  My husband got a serious infection following a relatively routine surgery, and was sick for almost two months, putting everything on hold.  This allowed me to take a step back, away from the craziness of politics, and reassess my priorities.  I quickly realized that the world did not fall apart without me in it.  I also realized that many of the things I was doing weren't all that important in the long run.  Was it really necessary to hold weekly or monthly TEA Party meetings that only a dozen people came to?  Was it really necessary to hold forums or attend meet and greets that the same people always attended?  Was it really necessary to attend every school board meeting, every political event in the area? 

So I stepped back, and decided to take a break from the TEA Party after the primaries were over.  Unfortunately, no one was there to pick up where I left off.  So nearly six months later, I am left with another decision - do I help get the TEA Party movement back off the ground in my area, or do I try and find someone to continue the fight.  I'm no longer interested in hosting meetings, forums and rallies anymore, but finding someone who is willing and able to do so is difficult. 

There are very effective TEA Parties and TEA Party leaders out there, but I am moving on.  I am involved in my local Homeowners Association, my local school board, and my local Republican Party (for now, at least).  That is what I can do to help the conservative cause today.  The TEA Party will have my support, but for now, it will need to find a new leader.

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