A few weeks ago, I heard Carole King speak about her support for Hillary Clinton as the democratic presidential nominee.

She did not enumerate the list of titles and offices Clinton held, she simply pointed out that after sex scandals, email scandals, questionable handling of Benghazi attacks and refusal to release paid speeches, Clinton still did her job with laser focus.

It wasn’t who she was talking about, but the traits that she described, that made me think about those people we overlook because they do not feel the need to tout their accomplishments. We have all seen the type—the braggers, name droppers, the ones who toot their own horn and need to be praised for everything they do.

These people attract attention. Sure, they may be the cool ones, the ones who have the sexy lines and the good looks, but at the end of the day, do we want the braggers to lead our country?

A presidential race is won by getting the most votes, but at the end of the day, we want unfaltering dedication, steadfastness and consistent performance no matter what criticism, lack of accolade or opposition one may face. The one who is predictable and reliable, not the one who flip flops to get the attention of the crowd.

This is the type of person, Carole King said, we want to run our country, because she has shown time and time again that she is capable. She perseveres, regardless of the circumstances.

My grandfather referred to these people as the “unsung” heroes, those people who quietly went about their business with devotion and dedication, never looking for praise, just doing what they do because they loved it.

I thought of a woman who I knew a few years back. She went to work everyday, sat behind her desk either deep in thought or typing. She kept to herself for the most part, but when asked, she was always the first to help. She was the first one to arrive at the office in the morning and the last person to leave at night. She typed away, writing and thinking and doing her best. Her briefs were always written on time, there was rarely if ever an error, and if someone couldn’t finish their brief, she was always there to help them through the last minute crunch. She was the woman who miraculously made everything come together in a pinch, yet she rarely ever took credit, she rarely ever received praise (more often criticism), yet every day she did her job just the same.

I have to admit I had not thought of Clinton in this light until I heard Carole King speak. Truthfully, I had had enough of all that press surrounding her emails, Benghazi and paid speeches that I lost sight of a woman capable of doing a great job of leading our country. I had mistaken all the bad press that drew attention to her for her tooting her own horn.

It is not easy to stay the course when you become the center of Saturday Night Live skits and the roast of speeches, but clearly Clinton has and she has done it with grace. And that is all Carole King was trying to tell us—to think of the unsung hero. The candidate who may not win a popularity contest, may not be the coolest one around, but when it comes to leading our country has a proven track record, and can still do the job well even when others try to bring her down.

 

Author: Jane CoCo Cowles

Image: Alan C./Flickr

Editor: Emily Bartran