Political Civility in Safety Harbor

There I was, on the corner of Bayshore and 7th Street, waving a sign for my mayoral candidate. I sensed a presence a few feet behind me, and when I turned around, there was a gentleman with a sign for his candidate.

“I wasn’t planning on being here, but then , . .”, he said.

“Democracy in action.”

We both laughed, and returned to our individual tasks at hand.

Cars drove by in packs, to the rhythm set by nearby traffic lights. Some folks ignored us, others waved or honked. Sometimes at me. Sometimes at him. He and I bantered back and forth and reached an informal agreement that we’d each leave our posts at 6pm.

Walkers along Bayshore shouted encouragement, sometimes to me, sometimes to him. Occasionally they stopped for a supportive chat. There were no boos, no catcalls, no harsh words or bird flipping from walkers or drivers.

“We’re setting a great political example,” I remarked to my friendly opponent.

What a nice break from the mudslinging and accusations that were flying around town. . Occasionally we exchanged smiles, or chuckled at getting weary.

The 6 o’clock hour arrived; we signaled each other, and headed towards the parking lot.

“By the way, my name’s Amy,” I said.

He returned the introduction with outstretched hand. “See you tomorrow.”

“Your turn to bring the wine.”

“Red or white?”

written by Amy Bryant, Safety Harbor resident blogger

Amy Bryant

Author of You CAN Go Home Again