Article courtesy of The Gazette:  GUEST COLUMN: Four of 20 years in service to the community By: KEITH KING
April 16, 2017 at 4:05 am

Keith King, City Council. Photo courtesy of the City of Colorado Springs

​The past four years have been filled with many challenges, a lot of successes and a few things I would do differently. I have been honored to represent District 3 on the Colorado Springs City Council. I have enjoyed learning and working in new governance and legislative processes. I have met so many great people who give of their time and talents to Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Utilities. Having returned hundreds of phone calls and thousands of emails, I have learned that the citizens of Colorado Springs also truly care about our city. My goal was to honor my constituents' concerns and value those principles I believed would be good for the city.

I especially want to thank my wife, Sandi, who has put up with me being elected for 20 years. She is truly my best friend. I hope that my service to the citizens of Colorado Springs can be summed up in a statement from Mother Teresa that I have modified.

When people seem unreasonable, illogical and self-centered, forgive them anyway.

If you are kind and try to return all phone calls and emails, you will still have people who disagree with you; be kind to all your constituents anyway.

If you are elected, you will find you have many friends and have some who will misrepresent your votes; get elected anyway.

If you are honest and determined, people may try to change what you really believe; be honest and determined anyway.

Spend years building life beyond just a political career; there is always a final vote; always build your life and family anyway.

When you find hope for the future, remember not all people see hope in the way you do; be hopeful anyway.
The good you do today, especially in politics, will often be forgotten; do good anyway.

Give the best to your family, then when people totally disagree with your political decisions, you have given the best to those you love the most anyway.

Create a city that gives opportunity to the next generation, you have your time of influence, and you give it to them anyway

You see, in the final analysis, your decisions are building a heritage, especially for your grandchildren, and are between you and God; those higher callings will guide your life anyway.

The future is bright for Colorado Springs; be innovative, do it carefully, do it with integrity.
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Keith King is the former representative for District 3 on the Colorado Springs City Council.