my roots tether me here / irene's speech

She wears her reading glasses, and she channels her father. It’s a quiet tribute, a ghost moving through her. It is a memory that has become tangible. Irene remembers staring up at the man as he busied himself at his desk, enchanted by his profession as a mayor and blissfully ignorant to his absence as a father. For fifteen years out of her twenty-seven, Bryson served District Seven as its political leader. He taught her the majority of what she knows today.

As his youngest child, following in his footsteps has always seemed like the most rational goal. It’s in her blood to want to leave District Seven better off than how she found it, but she tries her best to recognize the disconnect between her issues and those of the lesser privileged. She’s thankful for the upbringing she had, the countryside manor and the private school education. When she graduated from Eden Institute, she vowed to make use of her knowledge and passion.

“I speak to all of you today not just as a candidate for mayor, but as the daughter of one. As far back as I can remember, my father held the position that I am now campaigning for. He stood where I am standing now, he fought for the ideals that I uphold to this day, and hopefully the both of us will share in dedicating our lives to this district.” She looks out to the crowd, a small and gentle smile on her lips, but her calm voice projects across the room.

“Our district is a proud one. Each year, we see the proof of our resilience and strength in the tributes who are called forward annually to represent us. And on the streets, we see a large divide between the fortunate and the disadvantaged. But we always push forward. Against any odds, no matter the challenge.” Like her father before her, she knows how to connect with the crowd.

“If elected, I hope to even this gap between our citizens. All of us should be entitled to an education, just like all of us should play a role in the structure of this district. I plan to increase wages, improve existing scholarship conditions, and to build a public library here in this very Town Square. We are more than simply a strong district, let us be one that is also prepared.”