A time to pause

I heard on the news tonight that Mayor Bob O'Conner of Pittsburgh has taken a turn for the worse. Mayor O'Conner was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh and just a few weeks after I had talked to him at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting in Las Vegas. This is such sad news. Bob is a person who has made a difference in Pittsburgh in just a few short months. I was so impressed by his agressive style and his energy. He was Pittsburgh through and through. I wish him well and hope that he recovers.

Another good friend, Mayor Jesse Corley of White Hall, West Virginia is struggling with cancer. Jesse is a great guy and someone who has become the visible leader of his small town. Jesse had to miss one of the high points in his political career a few weeks ago when they dedicated the city's new City Hall. Jesse also moved into the position of First Vice-President of the West Virginia Municipal League this past weekend. This will be a tough battle for Jesse and I hope that he makes it through the Chemo.

This makes me think about our lives as politicians. We are in the public eye and our lives are on display every day. We also have to suffer with illness in a public way. Our citizens know more about our treatments than many families. We have to keep a stiff upper lip, even when we are in pain. I am reminded of my good friend Mike Guido, the Mayor of Dearborn, Michigan and the current president of the U. S. Conference of Mayors, who is also battling cancer. Mike recently was at the National Association of Counties meeting in Chicago, when he left immediately after his speech. He was headed back home to appear at a local festival. I know that he was pressing himself to keep up appearances for the "home" crowd.

I know that we knew this when we ran for office, but I hope that we recognize that fighting a battle like cancer can be an intensely personal mission. We sometimes need our privacy, but we know that this is not often possible. I just hope that my dear friends can wage this battle on "their" terms and recover to a fufilling life.

God Bless, Bob, Jesse and Mike.