When that phone call comes, remember this. You owe it to yourself, your partner, your family and probably the country to politely say no and hang up. Photograph: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie
Imagine the scene. It’s 2032. Spring has returned, the evenings are stretching gently and the daffodils are gamely holding their own against a restless April breeze.
You’re content. The career box is ticked, the children are grown, the mortgage a distant memory. There’s a quiet satisfaction that comes from a life well lived.
You’ve given back plenty too, through your campaigning work and civic engagement. You’ve done your bit.
Then the phone rings. It’s someone from the public sphere. Maybe a former colleague, maybe that well-connected friend who always seems to know who’s being sounded out for what.
Their tone is cautious, as if they’re approaching a sleeping animal. “I’m just putting this out there,” they begin. “Would you ever consider running for president?”
You laugh ... But then you notice they’re not laughing back.
That’s the moment when the rational part of your br
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