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Someone in our local community woke me with kindness and inspired me—may I pay it forward here?
Admittedly, I’m guilty of smooshing politicians into the “shady and self-serving” cracks. I’ve fallen into disenchantment with national politics and never lent an ear to local politics. Until I met Tallis.
I posted a request for a handyman on the Nextdoor app. Tallis’s response explained that he was running for city council and as a way to get to know his community, he was volunteering to help people in need.
When Tallis arrived, my impression was that he was polite and professional. I waited for the sales pitch, but it never came. He just worked efficiently and gave me a couple pointers along the way. When he was about to leave, he recognized I needed more help than just that little project, and offered to come back again. I was hesitant because I figured he would want to charge me—after the fact. Nope. He just kept being kind, and offering more.
Next visit, I waited for the “other shoe to drop.” Instead, he worked alongside me, respectfully teaching me, and asked a few real questions to genuinely get to know me.
Refreshing and rare.
In asking him my own set of genuine questions, I observed Tallis’s unique demeanor—sort of a mix between curious, thoughtful, compassionate and intellectual—even when we didn’t agree. We talked about business, health, religion, family, entrepreneurship, and disadvantaged populations.
By visit five, I finally inquired about his deeper beliefs. He gave me six words he lives by: kind words, kind thoughts, kind deeds.
Mic drop.
Wow. What a simple formula for success—regardless of political beliefs.
I’m sincerely grateful to have met Tallis. He consistently shows up in the ways that he says he is going to, often doing more than what’s expected, and finding resourceful solutions along the way. I see him going the extra mile in city council and naturally inspiring other council members to do and to be better as well. His entrepreneurial spirit will be an asset in elevating Longmont.
Being new to CO, my voter registration is still in another state, so, sadly, I can’t vote here yet, but I sure hope this letter inspires others to get to know and to vote for Tallis on November 2.
Sincerely,
Kristen U.
Update: Colorado law states that once a person establishes residence in the state of Colorado, that person is eligible to vote until they establish a new residence. Voters may only have one residence. This individual is eligible to vote in Colorado and only needs to register. To learn more about voter registration requirements click here.
