Got Time for a Story?

We had a great start yesterday to our political "interview" (that's how I'm thinking of it, anyway). Thanks to each of you who responded, as well as to all of you who gave some link love. The comments are still open, so feel free to continue any discussion you like.

I'd like to make a few more inquiries over the course of this week, following up today on the theme of discontentment so prevalently mentioned in many posts yesterday. Specifically:

• Do you remember a time when you didn't feel disenfranchised by or cynical regarding our current democratic political system/process? What was different?

• What changed in your political understanding and when? Who influenced you the most in the midst of this transition and how?

Brief (paragraph or two) stories summarizing your experience(s) would be great. Use discretion with names, but give us enough specificity to understand where you're coming from, especially if/how it involves the PCA.