ABSTRACT
Win or loose, the morning after election night is somewhat like a hangover. You are exhausted after months of campaigning, whether from the stress of the schedule or the battering by the press and opponents. Several thoughts came to my mind the morning after my first election. First was that I needed a vacation and some quiet time with my neglected family. A week would be ideal, but some officeholders must begin work the week after the election. Judges, legislators, school board members, and county commissioners must report to a training program in order to learn the process of their new office. Also, in many legislative bodies, a very political series of events for choosing leadership positions is held in the days following an election. In such instances, a vacation consists of little more than a long weekend. Taking time off at this point is like running in a marathon when all of a sudden the race stops. I found myself 158screeching emotionally to a halt, and it took me several days to wind down.
