The thing I enjoyed most were visits from children. They did not want public office.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I was completely unprepared for the public spectacle my private life became, and didn't like it a bit.
I enjoyed the administrative work because it involved working with Congress, city council, and the mayor. I had never been a politician so it was fun - learning political maneuvering.
I didn't intend to run for public office. I didn't really think about it.
I ran for public office to do something good.
There have been two periods in my lifetime when the excitement of government and of public issues drew to Washington many of the bright young people graduating from colleges and law schools. These were essentially the Roosevelt and the Kennedy years.
When I left office in 1979, I was about the only one who had really left public office on my own.
I used to teach at a private school, and the parents thought I loved their children. I did not love their children! I liked them well enough, but I was always delighted to see them go off for summer vacation.
One of the most enjoyable things I do at Government House and when I travel around Australia is to talk with children. I tell them about our parliamentary democracy - and I often do that as I'm walking into an Executive Council meeting next door!
When I first ran for public office, it was with the passion and idealism of a young man who believed that government could help make our lives better, that public service was a calling and that citizenship demanded responsibilities. There was a greater good.
If I think of all the family members, I was probably the only one who was excited with the possibility of my dad's entering public office.
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