On Thursday evening last I was invited along to the old folk’s summer ball in Dublin South East. It was taking place down on Pearse Street in the evening and though I really didn’t have time to go along (motions for the second stage of the development plan were due the next day) i’m conscious that it’s important to be out and about with your constituents at these kinds of events. So I jumped on a Dublinbike and popped down (stopping in to a friend for a quick bite and catch up on the way).

This will sound cheesy, but these are the types of events that keep me going.

A packed hall. About 180 older people from around the community having a great night out. The Garda band. And a small team of dedicated Council staff running the show. A very positive vibe to a very positive event. And for me it’s very much what community is all about. People helping people. People working for something bigger than themselves. Everyone benefiting.

But what really did it for me, on top of this, was the fact that I got to pitch in. No standing around, making chit-chat, posing, canvassing for votes. I got to actually do something tangible and immediate in terms of helping out. I got to serve the food. Well, the sausages portion of the meal anyway.

We dished out 180 meals in record time. A colleague from Labour who was there did the same and there was about 8 of us scrambling around the hall getting the plates out to the tables and then following up with coffee etc. It all went very well and we worked up a sweat and had a great laugh doing it. Happy out.

Did it help me get any votes? Probably not. Does that bother me? I don’t think so, but I’m not sure. Maybe it should bother me. I mean I probably should have been canvassing the room, shaking hands and giving out free pens like one of the local TDs was.

Or then again, maybe no harm in not worrying about that for once, seeing the bigger picture, and not being such a bloody politician.

Maybe.