Success! I wrote several thousand words today. But not on a manuscript. No, this is an entirely different kind of project.

I’m running for school board.

Look, there are lot of world-changing directives I’d like to take on, dozens of causes I’m passionate about, but making sure our kids get the education they deserve, and that they have the resources to get that education, is one of my top priorities.

And hey, let’s face it. I’m five feet tall. I wear clunky plastic braces on my legs most of the time thanks to a genetic condition that impacts my joints. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that I would be positively useless in any sort of real, physical war.

But the fight for education? That’s one I can take on. When it comes to access to education, the fight for equity and equality, when it comes to getting the kids in our tiny school district the same kind of resources larger, wealthier districts have always had, I think I can make a difference. I’d sure like the chance to try.

Above all, though, I care.

I care about this community. I care about the families who live here, the teachers who work here, the children who play here. I care. And if I want to see a positive change, it’s time to roll up my sleeves and dive in.