Lately it seems like every time I go back and visit my hometown, someone starts talking about politics.

I don’t think this is because of my career. These days you can barely leave your own home without stumbling on political news. Everyone is engaged in it one way or another, and even active avoidance is difficult or impossible.

So, when I’m asked my perspective by friends or family — seeking tales from the other side of the curtain — I try not to begrudge them their curiosity. After all, they are trying to be informed, and this is something we can all agree is a good thing.

Moreover, I’m never entirely removed from work. Regardless of the time of year, there’s no days that are truly slow, and as summer turns into fall and November gets closer, our our nights get shorter as our days and weeks get longer.

For the most avid players: a work-around.

Spend enough time engaged in anything that demanding, and you’ll have a thing or two to say about it. Multiply that by the diverse group of pros at Grassroots Midwest, and you’ve got over a century of war stories. None of us share an origin story, career path, political philosophy, or the same perspective on events in Michigan’s recent history.

We want to share some of those stories. While our standard blog posts provide a look at industry success, best practices and tips, “Musings” will occasionally invade this space as a loose serial touching on the insider observations of our partners and staff. We’re going to talk about some of the behind-the-scenes truths and realities that rarely make media headlines.

This is my take from the other side of the curtain. My editions of this serial will deal with my own insider perspective on answering phone calls from constituents, answering e-mails, meeting constituents, knocking doors for candidates, delivering literature, creating literature, attending fundraisers, developing legislation, amending legislation, passing legislation, processing approved legislation, recording legislative session, assisting elected officials, speaking on behalf of elected officials, writing on the behalf of elected officials, crafting caucus messaging strategy, developing leadership strategy and much more.

So what’s the first thing this particular operative plans to talk about?

Form letters. Yes, form letters.

See you next week.

About the author: Steve Heikkinen serves as the Communications and Marketing Strategist for Grassroots Midwest, Michigan’s only bipartisan political advocacy firm.