Living in the O’s Fifth Birthday

Though Living in the O is on hiatus, I couldn’t let my blog’s birthday pass without acknowledging it here. I’ve really wanted to write lately. It’s taken self-restraint to not write about the June election, so many fantastic restaurants and other businesses opening, and most of all, everything I’m learning about BART and the East Bay through my campaign. I haven’t blogged because I’ve needed to focus on campaigning to be elected to the BART Board.

But today I felt compelled to write because writing this blog and building a community around Oakland blogs is part of why I’m running for office.

Five years ago, many things rapidly changed in my life. Over a span of three or four months, my sister (who I’m very close with) and my two best friends moved away from the Bay Area. And right after that, my girlfriend (now wife) was diagnosed with a major health issue. To say it was a tough year would be an understatement.

I needed something positive to focus on outside of work, so I decided to start blogging, but I couldn’t have imagined how much blogging would change my life for the better.

I’ve met some of my closest friends through blogging, engaged in many political and policy campaigns, and developed a passion for fostering citizen engagement in local government.

As I’ve taken this next leap in my life, running for BART Board, I’ve been so grateful that the blogoaksphere community has been there with me. Looking at my endorsement, donor, and volunteer lists last night, I realized that I’ve met many of my supporters directly or indirectly through blogging, and this support means so much to me.

If you’d like to get a birthday present for Living in the O, please donate to my campaign for BART Board.

Readers of this blog know me, but most of the 150,000 voters in BART District 3 don’t know me so well. With your support, I will have the resources to reach them and share my vision for BART.

My goal is to reach 200 donors by the first campaign fundraising deadline – June 30th – and I hope the blogoaksphere will help me meet that goal, as you’ve helped so many times in the past.

And if you’d like to celebrate in person, join blogoaksphere community members Dave Campbell and Karen Hester at Sliders for Saltzman, a fundraiser for my BART Board campaign on Saturday, June 30th from 4:00-6:30 p.m. at Temescal Creek Cohousing. You can find out all the details and RSVP on my website.

It’s been an incredible five years, and after the election, I hope to blog for years to come.