The parts that never fit neatly on a résumé
Very Interesting Detours
Sometimes the Detour Is the Interesting Part
Not everything I've done fits neatly into a résumé.
Some experiences were carefully planned. Others appeared unexpectedly. A few were decisions that, looking back, seem considerably more interesting than they did when I made them.
I've decided that those experiences deserve a place of their own.
Indiana · 1977–1978
The Political Detour
In 1977, I returned to Indiana, leaving my educational career with the intention of running for Congress.
I traveled through all 15 counties in Indiana's 8th Congressional District, met with Republican county chairs, and spoke before Republican women's clubs.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The congressional race never materialized, so I decided to run for the Indiana State House of Representatives in District 69.
It was an extremely gerrymandered district, if there ever was one. It covered all or parts of six counties and stretched roughly 100 miles from west to east.
The campaign
Six counties. About 100 miles. A lot of conversations.
I spent the campaign traveling, meeting people, listening to their concerns, and trying to persuade them that I was the person who could represent them effectively.
I didn't win.
But I came away with something I valued considerably more than I expected: relationships.
The people I met throughout those campaigns made the experience personally rewarding. I enjoyed the conversations, the connections, and the opportunity to learn about communities and people I otherwise might never have encountered.
What happened next
An unexpected consequence
The relationships I developed during that period ultimately led to employment with the Indiana State Auditor's Office and later the Office of Community Services Administration, where I remained until May 1981.
So I returned to Indiana intending to become a Congressman.
I didn't become a Congressman.
Instead, I became a state employee.
It was a very interesting detour.
What I Took Away
The destination isn't always the most important part of the journey.
I went to Indiana with one objective. That objective didn't happen.
But the experience opened doors I hadn't anticipated, introduced me to people who became important to my life, and gave me experiences I would never have had if I had stayed on the original path.
I've had other detours since then. Some involved work. Some involved interests. Some simply began with a question or an opportunity that I found difficult to ignore.
They aren't necessarily the things that would appear in a conventional résumé. But they are often the things that make a life—and a career—interesting.
And I have a feeling there are still a few detours ahead.