When I was a toddler my mother’s application for food stamps
was turned down. They told her she earned too much – working two jobs, as a
single mother, to support her and her five kids. I didn’t know this until very
recently when my oldest sister told me, and life at the time seemed great. The
house was always clean, we had hot meals. (I still love tuna casserole), I went
to a great public school, and I spent my summers at the town pool - swimming
competitively of course. But behind the scenes, the economy of the early 1970s
was not doing well. My dad’s sales business struggled and he had a hard time
paying child support on top of two mortgages.
Despite all that, on graduating high school, I was accepted
to MIT to study engineering. Through loans and scholarships, I was able to pay
my way and eventually found a position at BAE Systems here in the Gate City. But
none of that would have been possible without the support of my mom.
Now, nearly forty years later, I’m considering running for
Mayor of Nashua. My biggest consideration is how I can help others overcome
their own challenges so they can enjoy the same success I have. There are so
many perspectives from people with their own needs that I can’t possibly draw
only on my own experiences. Fortunately, I can seek advice from some of the
women in my life.
To understand the challenges of a teenage mother – what it takes to persevere with two young boys – I can just ask my youngest sister, Bonnie. Seeing her today, blessed with a loving husband and a home on a farm. I realize that hard work and sacrifice will pay off.
Today, Nashua’s people are facing similar kinds of
challenges as our city becomes increasingly urban. Half the students in
Nashua’s school system come from families who qualify for free or reduced
meals. Many of those families have a single mother as the head of the
household.
To understand the challenges of raising a special needs
child – I would call my oldest sister, Jackie.
For years she dug in her heels with schools to do the best for her
learning-impaired daughter and even tutored her at home when necessary. My niece is now a successful and award
winning school teacher.
This is also an increasingly important issue for Nashua. Roughly
one third of our school budget goes towards helping students with special
needs. It is almost a requirement that the next mayor of Nashua appreciate the
challenges presented to a mother of a child with a learning disability.
For parents in similar situations, I don’t have all the
answers for them to get through the next day, but what I can confidently tell
them is that it won’t always be a struggle. As my mom and sisters demonstrated,
hard work will pay off.
But it’s not enough to simply struggle through life. We have
to know that we are working for a better tomorrow. And I know that the gate city can be the
gateway to a better life for hardworking families.
To get us there, Nashua needs a mayor who can lead by
example, someone who not only has life experiences to empathize with the
challenges we face, but who has also demonstrated that patience and
determination actually pays off with success.
The same patience and determination that got me to the
Triathlon World Championships, I have applied to a long and successful career
in the technology business. If I decide
to run for mayor, then all the moms of Nashua will be able to count on me to be
their champion as I draw on the experiences of my own family in order to help
theirs.
These skills I got from my parents. I wouldn’t be the man I
am today if it weren’t for my mom. I’m
sure many of you feel the same way. So, stop what you are doing right now and
if you haven’t already, call your mother.
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