The other day I was working with my staff (read: Lindsey) at Buchanan’s on the Hill (okay, we got four more PT staff, and three interns, but Lindsey’s been our rock over the past year, god bless ‘er), a college-ee coffeeshop. The internet sucked, but it was awesome to be surrounded by stressed-out finals-undergoing co-eds college kids.

Made me feel young again, for a minute.

Halfway through our work session James Gimian, a friend, senior Buddhist student and teacher, a mentor-from-afar and publisher of the Shambhala Sun magazine called. He talked on about a bunch of inspiring things—but one of the things he mentioned that excited me most was his meeting and hanging out with Congressman Tim Ryan.

My Congressman, Jared Polis, is awesome. He’s been really supportive of elephant and myself over the years, god bless ‘im, even touring me about a bit in DC and appearing on our talk show twice and writing an article for us and working with New Era Colorado, an organization I love that works to get young people psyched on and active in politics. Congressman Jared Polis has been a friend to the populous Buddhist community here in Boulder, even attending our New Year with yours truly a month or so ago, and sending his staff to learn meditation, both are our big local Boulder Shambhala Meditation Center.

But Congressman Tim Ryan is really, personally into this meditation stuff. Not as a lifestyle thing, or a spiritual thing, but as something practical, and ordinary. That’s personally exciting. I want to run for Congress—you know, after I’ve saved my house from foreclosure—and I always thought I’d have to down-low my Buddhist training. Ah, progress.

Check it: Congressman Ryan Discusses Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: