It's time for a new beat, but one last thing before I go

I started writing my column in the spring of 2014, and oh how things have changed since then! Barack Obama was president, and Mike Pence was the governor of Indiana. There were already Republican supermajorities in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly, and those legislative maps have since been updated and fortified to protect that offensive imbalance for the foreseeable future here. Of course, that assumes Hoosier voters will keep voting red, no matter what that ultimately means. The Republican brand of 2014 would be unrecognizable to a new Republican in 2025. Ronald Reagan is no longer a hero. Richard Nixon is no longer an embarrassment. And Antonin Scalia is unknown to most modern GOP voters. "12 Years a Slave" and "Dallas Buyers Club" cleaned up at the Oscars that year, both of which were stories of historic heroism in response to horrible periods of American history. Those hit movies make me wonder what the great stories about this moment will be, decades or even centuries from now. Early next year, I will publish my second novel, "The Edge of Motherland." The setting is early 2020 in Indianapolis, and the story details an unusual friendship that begins just as the pandemic is locking down the city and the country. The actual historic events, and their impact on people during the first half of that year were remarkable all by themselves, and the book documents plenty of them. But the reason for writing it is to document how the moment felt, and how those feelings inspired a reevaluation of what "home" means. It's not a book about politics or government. Eleven years ago, I was a contract lobbyist, primarily working for clients who needed assistance communicating and advocating to state government. I had been consulting in the private sector for a dozen years following a career of similar length as a state employee and agency executive. Government, and the politics that steered it, was what I spent my professional life studying and working to impact. My résumé would indicate I was an expert in a niche market that was financially rewarding. But I was losing interest in it. Writing this column helped keep it interesting for me back then and for many years since. I have now published more than 600 columns, and almost 500 of them have been specifically about politics and government. When I look back at the body of work, most would agree, some more than others, that on these topics, I've written enough. So, I am going to stop writing about politics in my weekly columns.    Before I go though, I want to leave a few parting thoughts.   Connect with Michael Leppert Visit michaelleppert.com to read the full post and links to any resources or articles mentioned. Twitter @michaelleppert  Facebook at Michael Leppert Michael Leppert is an author, educator and a communication consultant in Indianapolis. He writes about government, politics and culture at MichaelLeppert.com. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Indiana Citizen or any other affiliated organization.