The Little Things
by Michael Sechrist on September 17, 2008 in Features
Since becoming a public servant, my perspective on why service matters has changed. Before going to work for the federal government, I had lofty ideals. After several jobs in Washington, however, many of those ideals were left battered by reality. The work was more challenging than I imagined and more often than not, the rewards harder to attain. Still, public service in part defined me; I was devoted to serving institutions that affected the lives of numerous Americans and the communities in which they lived.
My work had significant consequences; it really mattered. The extent to which it mattered revealed itself during my first year in Washington when one day, I came close to screwing up on the job. After a miscommunication with a superior, I held onto some paperwork I shouldn’t have. Later that day, he informed me that because of what I had done, Ambassador John Negroponte’s nomination to become America’s first Director of National Intelligence would be delayed for two whole weeks.
For the next 45 minutes, I sat alone in my office contemplating rosy scenarios, like being fired and seeing my name in The Drudge Report. I envisioned the 9/11 Commission excoriating the President for not nominating a DNI sooner, and the President, in turn, blasting me at a news conference somewhere, crushing my reputation for at least a few good years to come.
The experience taught me that public service, however trivial it can sometime seem, matters a lot. It’s part of a greater whole. When the cog you work on breaks down, the entire wheel could fall off. It’s like the butterfly effect in chaos theory – public work has impact, across the country, and often times, around the world. Through public service, we make a significant difference, for better or for worse.
As it turned out, the difference I made that day ended for the better. Miraculously, the Senate stayed open a few more hours, allowing the nomination paperwork to reach the floor. My superior apologized to me and, thankfully, I lived to serve another day.
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