what is politics?

I must admit I have never been particularly interested nor actively engaged in politics.

I vividly remember my birthday four years ago, November 8th, 2016, I was enjoying a delicious birthday dinner with my friend, sitting at the bar of a Japanese restaurant. We kept our phones in our purse so that we won’t be distracted but couldn’t help but notice and be distracted by the man sitting next to us that had his phone out with updates of the presidential election.

Like I said, I am ignorant when it comes to politics, but I was in shock that this man, that seems to break almost every yogic practices of yama and niyama (controlling your interactions with others and controlling your personal habits of behavior), could be elected as president.

This actually made me slightly more interested in politics. Am I naive to wish our president is someone I can actually respect as a human being? Is this what politics is about? Ignoring morality?

This is when I discovered Pete Buttigieg. He was running as one of the candidates for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 United States presidential election and something about him attracted me so much. Yes, he is young, super smart, an Afghanistan war veteran, but what attracted me was the genuine sincerity that I felt every time I heard him talk. He seemed like the kind of human being I can respect and aspire to be like.

This was the first time in my life I was inspired enough to go to a fund raising event of a politician. I drove over to West Hollywood to see him talk and shake his hand. (I got to shake his husband Chasten’s hand too!)

No, he did not become the Democratic presidential nominee, but he has made me interested in becoming more educated and involved in politics.

One thing I know for sure is that when I do my best to practice the yama and niyama in my daily life, it makes me feel more calm, peaceful, loving, and loved, and I hope this country and world can also be a more calm, peaceful, and loving place to live.