Reporter Brian Christopherson sat down with First District City Council candidate Doug Emery last week. Here’s what Emery had to say in his own words:

I’m Northeast dyed-in-the-wool.

I’ve lived 50 out of my 56 years in Northeast Lincoln, and two of the years that I missed living in Northeast Lincoln is because Richard Nixon decided I should be somewhere else.

I got drafted.

I grew up in the John Kennedy era. The whole ambiance of “Ask not what your country can do for you …” resonated because it paralleled with what we were doing in Northeast Lincoln.

There was a real comradeship.

When my grandparents said they were going downtown, they meant they were going to downtown Havelock.

I loved the ability to be able to call the hardware store at 10 o’clock at night and tell the owner you busted something, and I’m pretty certain he’d go down and open the store for you and help you get the pieces made.

He’d probably come over and help you put it on if you talked real nice.

I love that part of Nebraska and of Lincoln.

My father had a boxing club here in Lincoln. I started boxing for my dad when I was 4.

I was a very average fighter. Very difficult because my father had been a very good boxer, actually fought Floyd Patterson in the 1952 Olympic Trials.

I got away from boxing for a few years in hopes that I’d develop my own identity.

When I came back, (Dad) asked me to become a boxing official and help him work.

I thought it was a one-time deal.

I’ve been doing that since 1978.

I worked my way up until I’m one of the 12 internationally qualified referee judges in the United States that are eligible to work the World Championships and Olympics.

I’m scheduled to work  the World Championships this fall and hopefully the London Olympics in 2012.

I went through a stretch where I wasn’t Doug Emery. I was Larry Emery’s son. You get probably unnecessarily a little resentful of that.

This was not a problem between me and my father. This was my own ability to deal with my own identity.

Although it didn’t seem like it was a great thing at the time, the opportunity to get drafted and spend 15 months overseas was an opportunity to get stronger in my own confidence.

When I came back, I had my own identity.

I started at the post office in 1974 as a part-time clerk. I retired in January of this year as the postmaster.

I think that’s largely due to the things I learned at Northeast High School and Northeast Lincoln — loyalty, hard work and the ability to not take myself too seriously.

And the ability to say, ‘You know what? I don’t know the answer. But I’m going to go find out the answer.’

I think if you asked the employees who worked for me, they’d tell you I was tough but fair.

They would also tell you that I never asked anyone to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself.

I’ve been married for 27 years — pretty soon it’ll be 27 years.

She came to pick up mail at the post office one day …

I think having two kids who have been terrific kids and graduated from college really is my proudest accomplishment.

I like to karaoke. I don’t think I have a (best karaoke song), but that’s the nice thing about karaoke. You just go out and do your own thing.

I’ve never been someone who admired politicians. I think I have a lot more respect for politicians now after trying to run than I did.

When I left the post office in January, I told people, ‘I don’t have a plan, but I know that I’ve done this for 35 years and I’m ready to do something else.’

There’s always a concern that no one will buy what you’re about. I can remember saying to my wife, ‘I hope you’re going to vote for me so at least I get two votes.’

The whole experience is pretty lonely.

You’re out walking most days by yourself. You don’t get much feedback and what feedback you do get is often from your supporters.

I usually have an idea, put it in place and modify it from there, rather than analyze, analyze, analyze.

I think you can get paralysis by analysis.

In the 8½ years I was postmaster, I never took my telephone number out of the phone book and if I get elected, I still won’t.

Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7438 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.