A week or so ago, I was asked to talk to a small group of neighborhood Cub Scouts. They were working on a citizenship award. This required an interview with an elected local official. I serve on the City Council of University City, Missouri. These Scouts live in my ward. So I was invited. I initially was asked to address three questions. Other questions popped up.

What follows is a summary of our chat. Just a brief note. This little event was far more interactive, chattier, than I present here. Some of my language in the oral presentation, however, was far simpler for the sake of the kids. That said, I didn't forget about their adult leader. So, to borrow from my fellow Missourian, Mark Twain, it's mostly true mostly, 'cept with some stretchers.

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I have been asked to address three questions. Why is local government important? How do local elections work? Why do I serve?

But my first question. How many of you voted in the last election? Nobody! This isn't the Daughters Of The American Revolution? No? You're not registered voters? Oh, you're not 18 yet. Well, OK, then let's think about those other questions.

Why is local government important?

So let me ask you a question. When you call the police, where do they come from? Where exactly? Anyone? Yes, from just down the street, right there at the police station. I would add that some are driving around the neighborhood when they get your call.

You call the fire department. Where do they come from? Right. The fire station just over the hill from here. And what city are they from? University City.

Here's a tough one, but someone might know. That nice policeman writes a ticket. What happens next? Right, Municipal Court. Yes, right, where you went last night with your mother when she paid for running a red light – Where? – in University City, yes.

The pastor here wanted the lines in the street painted. They were faded and dangerous. He asked me to look into it. I made a few calls and a team was sent from City Hall.

I once read that something like 80 or 90% of all the laws that affect you are state and local. Housing. Businesses. Restaurants. Schools. Libraries. How big can you make a sign? How do we arrange for a concert in the park? What can you do about your neighbor's barking dog? Do I need to pay to cut down this dead tree, or is it on city property? All this is local. It's the local government that attends to these and similar issues.

How do City Council elections work?

All of you followed the last national election, right? Local elections are not that different. But here are some interesting variations

University City's elections are actually run and monitored by St. Louis County. This takes elections for the Council out of the hands of the City itself.

U. City is nonpartisan – we are neither Republican nor Democrat nor third party – so there is no party primary. However, candidates can't walk into City Hall and just sign up to run. We have to file a petition signed by many neighbors. My petition took me several weeks of knocking on doors. When you have enough signatures, your name is put on the ballot for the general election.

Why do I serve?

The easiest answer is that I was asked. A politically active committee of my neighbors asked me to run. I hasten to add that I was not their first choice. This is a committee of women. They initially wanted a woman, but no woman stepped forward. Of the men who did show interest, honestly, I thought myself the better candidate. Eventually, I was unopposed.

After I was asked to “throw my hat in the ring”, I spent maybe two months considering my answer. I prayed a lot, to be honest. I know that the demands of the office are considerable.

City Council was a natural progression for me. I served on three municipal commissions, two of which I chaired. Council was a natural next step.

In the end, however, I serve out of a sense of duty. My grandfather, who served on the St. Louis Board Of Aldermen, always said that everyone owes their community a service. This town has given me so much. I want to give back. It is a profound reward unto itself, to give back to the city that has given me so much.

So – yes, you young man – Do I enjoy it? There's no easy answer to that. Yes. And no.

Let's start with no. I was at City Hall the other day. I was in the elevator. Janice asked, “So you've been on the council for a few months now. What's your biggest surprise?” Good question. My answer surprised me as much as it surprised her.

“The insults. There are these folks who feel that, just because I'm elected, they get a free shot at insulting me. I'm an object to be insulted, not a person to be engaged. So, yeah, the insults. Especially the insults laced with cynicism. It's painful.”

And, no, I don't enjoy the cynicism. For example, there's this stereotype that all politicians are corrupt. There are about 500,000 elected officials in the United States, everyone from the mayor of a village in rural Missouri to the Mayor Of Chicago. I think there might be one or two honest ones in there. Besides, honesty isn't hard. Honesty is easy. The question of honesty isn't one of difficulty. No, it's one of preference. Remember this. Idealism and practicality are not opposites. When a politician abandons idealism, he or she adopts chaos.

The job is also extremely time-consuming. I spend some of every day doing Council work. I often spend all day doing Council work. Two examples. To prepare for a Monday meeting of the Council, on Friday it is the custom that I receive the agenda and the attendant readings. A police cadet often delivers it. At times, those readings have been as much as 900 pages. A few hundred pages is common. Second example, I get a badzillion emails daily.

But – yes. I enjoy it. I even enjoy the readings. I do. I like the wonky minutia. Did I mention that I'm a nerd?

I work at the most intimate level of the republic. I really enjoy that. Shaking hands. Sitting on a neighbor's porch and listening. I like the intimacy. One of the surprises of these, my later years – I'm almost 75 – is that I have fallen in love with my hometown.

Given a chance, I will shake every hand in a room and talk to every person. I'm just like that. I love my neighbors. I love my neighborhood. Not long ago, I was a bit late getting home that night. My beloved wife, Phoebe, without even looking up from her newspaper, said, “I guess there were more babies to kiss than you initially anticipated.”

Next question?