The belief of Erwin and his campaign is that one does not “become” a Congressman.  Nonetheless, there are qualities that must be “becoming” of an individual in order to be considered for such an appointment.  There are certain qualities and experiences that people look for in those who will be entrusted with their voice to represent them.

I want to highlight some experiences that do not typically make the resume of elected officials, but play a key role in the making of what type of leadership they will exhibit.  Leaders lead out of their character.  Character comes from a root word which means, “to make sharp” or “to engrave.”  It carries the imagery of an instrument being used to engrave distinctive marks onto a surface.

When we think of potential candidates, we have become accustomed to fast forwarding to the college accolades and beyond, but the process begins much earlier than these years.  There are life experiences that have been used to “engrave” distinctive marks that will form the character of an individual.  I would like to focus on two in respect to Erwin.

We begin with the winter of 1988 when Erwin turns 16, and like many, begins to look for a car and employment.  Where does a gifted high school student who will graduate third in his class and is on his way to becoming one of the best basketball players to leave Meade County High School look for work?  The choice is easy — Kentucky Fried Chicken.  KFC was not even a local restaurant in his small hometown.  Erwin would drive his 1979 Chevrolet Monza (that’s right, Monza?) 45 minutes to Elizabethtown to prepare The Colonel’s “finger-licking good” chicken.

He would work after basketball practice, and then close the restaurant, and still maintained a high level of academic achievement. Even during the off-season, Erwin was requested for the “close shift” because the manager knew the job would be done efficiently and she would get to go home sooner.  How long does a high school student maintain this type of schedule? Erwin kept that one job until he left for college.

Now, we make our way to the college years.  Erwin continued to be a good student at Transylvania University and his potential as a collegiate athlete was ready to come to fruition.  What summer job does the future MVP of the men’s basketball team, male athlete of the year for his accomplishments on and off the basketball court, and future law student choose to do? He walks the streets of Lexington with a trash grabber collecting garbage and performs duties such as trimming bushes, laying sod, cutting grass, weed-eating lawns, and the list goes on.

Erwin did not use his academic and athletic accomplishments to avoid hard work that may have been deemed less attractive.  When Erwin speaks of hard work, it is not a platform to launch a campaign.  It is not a patronizing scheme to try and identify himself with another class of people.  It is indeed his life.  When he did the jobs that no one else liked to do, he was not trying to build a resume (it is hardly impressive anyway, right?).

I am not stating that Erwin did anything special.  He did (and continues to do) what many people do everyday.  He worked hard because there was a job entrusted to him, and the way you do your job is a reflection of the person you are and will become.  We cannot place our trust in the ever changing world of opportunities and tough issues, but we can trust the consistency of one’s character when faced with these opportunities and issues.  I simply highlight these experiences to show that character made its mark on Erwin long ago.

So, the next time someone hands you your 3-piece meal of The Colonel’s secret recipe (perhaps, you prefer extra crispy), or you’re sitting at a stoplight trying to avoid eye contact with the guy beside you picking up the trash — watch out!  It could very well be your next Congressman in the making.