I sat in my “executive office” out on the back loading dock of our office with several of the best minds I know. We talked over everything that had been done. We took note of the few hours remaining to work in. One by one, each of these men and women said: “I can’t think of anything we’ve left out. Now it’s up to the voters.”

The candidate took advantage of those remaining hours to do some more door-to-door work. He worked hard at it, even though he was dog-tired.

I spent the last couple of days fielding calls about all sorts of things. Rides to the polls had to be organized, and that was coming together. The front room of Campaign Headquarters was full of men and women calling voters all over town. There was a steady stream of people stopping in to wish us well, ask what we’d heard, and pontificate about all the predictions that were floating around.

Some of the precinct workers were still hard at it, getting materials into the hands of prospective voters that might be undecided. It wasn’t the best time to be doing this work. Mid-July in central Georgia is a punishing time to be working outside. These precinct workers would drag in off the hot July street, sit down with a bottle of water, and talk about the obstacles they faced. We’d study the map, voter’s lists, take stock of remaining materials, and figure out what we had to do in the short hours that remained.

Election Day itself was pretty much a zoo. We fielded calls from folks needing a ride to vote. People called to wish us luck. Everyone kept wanting to know what we were hearing, as if we had some magic eye into the city’s voting system. Besides all this, there were details about the Election Night Watch gathering we’d planned. As of mid-afternoon, there were quite a few unresolved details. I needed a nap, but the naps would have to wait.

Finally, at 7 p.m., the polls closed. We taped a note on the campaign office front door inviting people to come to the gathering. I told a co-worker: “Lock the door.”

I was worn to a nub. The last three of us left in the office shared a cup of coffee, and talked about how tired we were, and how much fun we’d had. One of the workers went home to get ready for the gathering. The other one stepped into the bathroom to change. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for about ten minutes.

The first precincts to come in were ones everyone thought we’d lose. We won them. I had a good feeling about this impossible situation.

We won every precinct. Hard work is indeed worth something. We got 63 percent of the vote.

(Editor’s Note: Write David Clark at P.O. Box 148, Cochran, GA 31014, or email him at dclark@outofthesky.com.).