Last week, two veteran Democratic members of Congress, Ronald Dellums and Vic Fazio, both from California, announced they would not seek re-election next year. Both were party leaders; both are relatively young, by congressional standards (Dellums is 62, Fazio 56). So some explanation was called for.
Whenever politicians quit office, they almost invariably repeat the same old alfalfa about closing a rewarding chapter in their career, spending more time with their long-suffering family, embarking on a new adventure in life, etc., etc. Dellums and Fazio touched upon these familiar themes, but in decidedly unfamiliar terms. "Now I choose to make a personal decision," said Dellums, "and to empower myself to regain my life." Fazio declared, that "I have come to a season in my life when I believe it is time to prioritize what matters most to me: the need to put aside the relentless pace of congressional service so I can give more time to family life."
Empower myself to regain my life? Prioritize what matters most to me? It sounds as if these two statesmen just stepped off some of Tony Robbins's hot coals or spent the past few weeks in a sweat lodge with Robert Bly. Mrs. Fazio must be flattered to learn that she ranks so high among her husband's priorities, and who would turn down a chance to watch Ron Dellums empower himself? Our hope is that, as they wean themselves from the political culture, both Dellums and Fazio will master the art of speaking a sentence without resorting to cliche -- especially of the New Age, senseless-acts-of-beauty variety. For, as Socrates once said, the unprioritized life is not worth living.