My Old Man's a Dustman

Like most of the world, I'm sat watching the results of the US Presidential Election coming in and waiting for them to announce the first black President in history. But as important and as significant as everything about this election might be, I can't help but thinking about the two guys running for the job, and why the hell they are doing it.

They've worked relentlessly for months, even years to get to this place, they've spent everything they have in terms of finances, energy, thoughts and emotions, and tomorrow morning, the winner... note the term 'winner', wakes up with all the responsibilities of the world on his shoulders... for at least 4 years!

I'll be honest, I get a bit sweaty palmed if I have to remember to buy milk on the way home (speaking of which, I forgot to buy milk on the way home), but this guy will be responsible for the lives of millions of people, thousands of which are in the middle of wars, and that's just one issue he'll have to deal with before dinner. Power, immortality, sense of achievement and the will to improve or affect the world are all well and good, but why would any human being put themselves under that kind of pressure? To take a job where you will make not only life & death decisions, both on a massive scale and a personal one, but you could feasibly make a mistake that would end the world, either in the long term, or very short term.

Not a chance mate, not a chance.