34 Sharon Murphy: founder, Real Life Civics

Sharon Murphy is a native of Lexington, Kentucky. She received a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a minor in Philosophy from the University of Kentucky. Sharon earned her Master of Public Policy, with a concentration in Social Policy, from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. After returning to Lexington in August 2014, she became a Voter Empowerment Organizer for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. She stayed with the organization, where she became a very active member.  Sharon has completed two statewide programs: Emerge Kentucky and New Leaders Kentucky.

With over 5 years of experience in public policy and community organizing, she has demonstrated pursuing and executing solutions for her community. Sharon believes in a society where everybody succeeds regardless of what obstacles may lie ahead of them; we must attack obstacles and injustices head-on.

In 2022 she started a website and public speaking platform called Real Life Civics.

www.reallifecivics.com

Kathie’s note: I met Sharon through a friend of a friend. I’m in a Positive Energy Circle (highly recommend forming a women’s group!) and someone knew someone who invited Sharon to speak at her house in the fall of 2024. And by fall I mean in October, when my hopes and dreams were riding hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh, prior to a certain date in November. It was a lovely evening, maybe 15 people, outside on the back deck. I immediately took to Sharon, what with her delightful personality and sharp mind. She’s a keeper, y’all. And I really hope she runs for office one day soon.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

Transcript

Sharon [00:00:00]:
I'm Sharon Murphy. I'm a lover of politics and policy, and words hold power.

Intro [00:00:04]:
Hi. Welcome to the Writers Rotation podcast. I'm your host, Kathie Stamps. I love words and writing and people and talking. So I'm talking to people who write all kinds of things in different professions. It's a Writers Rotation. 

Kathie [00:00:22]:
Sharon! How you doing?

Sharon [00:00:23]:
Good. How are you?

Kathie [00:00:24]:
Good. How is everything in Real Life Civics?

Sharon [00:00:28]:
It's a lot, considering the current state of—it's a lot.

Kathie [00:00:34]:
I can only imagine. First of all, what is the definition of civics?

Sharon [00:00:38]:
That is a good question. What is the definition of civics?

Kathie [00:00:45]:
We could go to the little machine here.

Sharon [00:00:49]:
We could. But, you know, things with definitions, it's like the textbook definition of it, and then it's like how it actually plays out. Like, I went to school—

Kathie [00:00:59]:
So this is from Merriam Webster: a social science dealing with the rights and duties of citizens.

Sharon [00:01:06]:
Yes. I like that definition.

Kathie [00:01:07]:
But when you were in school…

Sharon [00:01:08]:
Yeah. So when I was in school, it's like the five-step policy process, and then it's like, I've been an intern at state level. When I was in undergrad, I was an intern for representative Ruth Ann Palumbo, and then I went to the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State. So I was also an intern for, at the time, State Senator C as well. So it's somewhat similar, but it doesn't follow it to a T. It's almost like a recipe. Like, you know, you get a recipe and you do the ingredients, but then it's like, no. I don't like that, so I'm going to take that out, and I'm going to add this. So that's the best way to explain it, if that makes sense.

Kathie [00:01:47]:
What's your practice, so to speak, how you incorporate civics into your life?

Sharon [00:01:52]:
I would say civics and policy is like the backbone of society whether people realize it or not. Everything that we do is governed by a policy. Like, me and you we’re on Zoom right now. We're on Zoom because someone petitioned, got it trademarked, and did all of that stuff. Or these phones that we use, everything is governed by policy. Like, the government has to give you some authorization or permission to do whatever it is that you're doing. To drive our cars, we have to register it with the city, with the state. We have tags. So if you really think about it, your whole life is governed by a policy. That's why I'm able to talk about policy so much because I can have a conversation with somebody; they'll say, oh, I don't care about policy, because it doesn't impact me. After talking to you for about three minutes, I can link whatever you do daily to a policy that allows you to do that.

Kathie [00:02:50]:
I've always said everything is a skill, and now I'm going to say, and everything has a policy. So, some examples. You're just tooling around in your car. You go to work. You come home. You watch some shows. Policies throughout the day.

Sharon [00:03:05]:
So if you're in your car and you listen to the radio or you listen to Sirius XM radio, they have to go through the Federal Communications Commission, I think it is, in order to be on the airwaves. And they're governed by what they can do because of the FCC policy. When you're driving to work, you may have to stop to get gas. Gas is regulated by the commissioner of agriculture.

Kathie [00:03:33]:
Snacks: FDA.

Sharon [00:03:34]:
So music, gas. If you stop and you get something to eat, that business has to, the corporation or franchise, whatever it is, has to register to the state. They have to be licensed.

Kathie [00:03:45]:
It's a business. Yes.

Sharon [00:03:46]:
In order to serve food at a restaurant, you have to have a food handler's permit. People that work there have to have a food handler's permit. Governed by what? A policy. And I was recently told that now you can take your food handler's permit online. I'm 36. So when I got my first job in McDonald's way back when I was 15, I can't remember if I went to the health department or I went somewhere, but I physically had to go somewhere to take the food handler's permit test in order for me to work at McDonald's when I was 15. Again, a policy.

Kathie [00:04:15]:
Wow. My mind is blown. Policy and politics, they would have to come from the same word.

Sharon [00:04:22]:
Yes.

Kathie [00:04:22]:
That's amazing. Okay. When did you first become interested in all of this?

Sharon [00:04:27]:
When I was seven.

Kathie [00:04:28]:
Tell me everything.

Sharon [00:04:29]:
I was seven. So, I was raised on my dad. And when I would go to the store, I would always try to figure out how much our grocery total was going to be before we got to the line. I don't know why I did it. I just did. I was like, I'm going to try to figure out. And then sometimes my number would be off, and my dad was like, because you forgot to include the tax. And I'm like, well, what's the tax? Because, you know, in Kentucky, food products are not taxed, but let's say you needed to buy laundry detergent or you needed to buy cleaning supplies or something like that, those items are taxed. So my number would always, I was like, why is my number off? I know how to do math. And my dad would be like, because you forgot to add the tax. And then I would ask other questions as well, and it just seemed like every time I asked questions, he would always like, well, because of the government. And, also, Uncle Sam. Like, anytime dealing with money, you know, your parents always say, oh, well, you know, I gotta pay Uncle Sam. I'm like, who is Uncle Sam? Is Uncle Sam like a real person?

Kathie [00:05:23]:
Samuel L Jackson.

Sharon [00:05:25]:
In school, we learned, the we learned about government and policy and social studies, I've always taken a liking to social studies classes. And, also, I feel like I'm nosy. So I'm like, who is this government? Why is this government? Like, why is that the answer to everything? So yeah. And it just stayed with me.

Kathie [00:05:46]:
And so you majored in what?

Sharon [00:05:48]:
So from the University of Kentucky, I have my bachelor's degree in political science, and I have my minor in philosophy. My original plan was to go to law school. So I took my three semesters of Latin too and then they tell you; there's no such thing as prelaw, but they tell you to major in political science and then they tell you to minor in philosophy because philosophy helps you defend your argument while at the same time weakening the opposing argument.

Kathie [00:06:17]:
Oh, that's so fascinating.

Sharon [00:06:19]:
Yeah. So that's what I did. And then me and the LSAT, we just did not get along. I'm not good at standardized testing at all. That doesn't mean that I'm not smart or anything, but I'm just, you know, not good at standardized testing. I still had to take the GRE, though. So I took the GRE, and I ended up getting my master's in public policy from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State. And I think I like having my master's in public policy because I'm not boxed in. Like, if I would have went to law school, then I would have been on the trajectory to practice law. And another thing too, I was like, I can't defend a law if I don't agree with it or if I see a flaw in it. So that was another reason why I went the policy route too. At least in the policy realm, for one, I'm not boxed in. And for two, I can help shape policy, which is really like the backbone of law. Like, policy and law, they're kind of the same, but they're kinda not. Most people would think I'm a lawyer, and I'm like, no, I'm not a lawyer. I just understand policy.

Kathie [00:07:20]:
So when you meet someone new and they say, what do you do?

Sharon [00:07:23]:
Well, my day job, I work for city government. That's my day job, but I try not to conflate the two because I have Real Life Civics. But I try not to conflate the two. But I just say I'm a lover of politics and policy, and I'm a lover of making society a better place for everyone.

Kathie [00:07:38]:
Very cool. What is something you wish everybody knew? If we just knew this, life would be better or we would be just more informed…

Sharon [00:07:47]:
How the three branches of government work.

Kathie [00:07:50]:
Judicial, legislative, and the other one.

Sharon:
Legislative, judicial, and executive. Three branches. 

Kathie:
Okay. And that's federal?

Sharon [00:07:57]:
No. At every level. Every level, there's an executive, a legislative, and judicial, because you have to think about it. Like, at the local level, the executive would be if you have a county government, your county judge-executive, and then your city, which is the mayor. At the state level, you have governor, and at the federal, you have president. So all of those are in the executive branch. And then in the legislative branch, if you have the county government, it's the fiscal court. And then each city it’s your city council. And then we have the state legislature, and then we have Congress. So that's your legislative branch. And then judicial, in Kentucky you have your Commonwealth Attorney, your county attorney, your district judge or circuit judge, state supreme court, federal supreme court, and then we have appellate courts and circuit courts at the federal level as well. So each level of government falls in either the legislative, executive, or judicial branch. And I actually have graphics that explain all of that too on my website. It's under the resource tab, and I think it's under the education tab. I started reallifecivics.com in 2022. And in Kentucky, you know, we've had elections every year. So this is the first year that we're like, I don't have to flip it until this time next year. This next time next year, I have to flip it because I'll have to get ready for the primaries for the midterm elections and state elections and senate elections.

Kathie [00:09:25]:
In '26. Are you saying that we don't have any elections at all in '25?

Sharon [00:09:29]:
We do not in Kentucky, but other places do.

Kathie [00:09:32]:
So with this interest, you're just not getting a break is what you're saying.

Sharon [00:09:36]:
No. But when you love politics and policy you never really get a break, but I truly do love it. So sometimes it doesn't feel like work to me.

Kathie [00:09:50]:
Yes. Do you want to run? Maybe that's in your future?

Sharon [00:09:55]:
I don't know. I don't know. For right now, I like my day job, and I like educating and empowering people. I like where I'm at right now.

Kathie [00:10:05]:
How much writing is involved with that? Do you do on a daily or weekly basis?

Sharon [00:10:09]:
Well, I send out a weekly email. In my email, I have to do links to articles so that I can give people the information, but sometimes I'll write little blurbs, my opinion on a policy. Writing is incorporated. And I also have to write too when I have to do presentations and stuff. In order for us to do this podcast, I kind of jotted down some quick notes. So I think of writing as, it may not be a formal long essay, but writing is still involved. You still have to think about and write down what you're going to say or else you'll forget. But some stuff I don't have to write down because I was talking about policy and politics so much. It’s just ingrained in my head, but that's because I wrote it so many times. I've had to type it out during the presentation so many times, so it becomes muscle memory. So writing helps me develop my muscle memory.

Kathie [00:11:02]:
What are some common questions you get asked with your presentations?

Sharon [00:11:06]:
People normally, they just want to know more about government at the state and local level. Because, you know, the federal government, it takes out all the air. So then when you have someone like me to come talk about the state and local over there, people complain. “I'm going to call the mayor about something. I'm going to call the governor about something,” and it's like, actually, you might want to think about the legislative branch because the people in the executive branch, they can influence and they can set the agenda, but they sign laws. They're not involved in the policymaking process. So you might want to go talk to your city council member, or you might want to talk to your county commissioner, or you might want to have a meeting or email your state legislator. I think that would be the best route to help you fix your problem or issue or get to some place of resolve. And that's why I actually started Real Life Civics. It's because I get it. Yes, your frustration is valid, but I want you to make sure that you're channeling that to the right branch or the right entity of government to help you get to a place of resolve.

Kathie [00:12:18]:
Yes. So anything that has to do, or most things that have to do with policy would be the legislature.

Sharon [00:12:24]:
Yes. Or they can amend or change the policy as well. There's an existing policy, sometimes that existing policy just needs to be tweaked or changed or it just needs to add an amendment to it.

Kathie [00:12:35]:
Have you seen anything happen like that recently?

Sharon [00:12:38]:
There are so many, and I'm trying to think of one. Oya, so in Kentucky, last year in 2024, we had Amendment 2 on the ballot that would allow funding to go to nonpublic education. In order for that legislation to enact, they would have to change the state constitution. And anything that changes the state constitution has to go before the voters. Kentucky voted no on Amendment 2, so the policy stayed the same. The public dollars should stay going toward public education.

Kathie [00:13:11]:
Why are those things written in such obfuscated language?

Sharon [00:13:14]:
I know! Because on some amendments, you want to vote yes. But then some amendments, depending on how it's worded, you need to vote no. So sometimes I have an idea, but I always go to Ballotpedia to make sure that my thought process… because words matter. When I was an intern, “will” versus “shall,” I have been in so many rooms, and it's like… words matter. And words have the ability to impact people's emotions and everything. So that's why sometimes when I talk, I'd be like, I need to find a word.

Kathie [00:13:51]:
Oh, yeah.

Sharon [00:13:51]:
Because words have meaning. They do matter. You just can't be out here saying anything.

Kathie [00:13:56]:
That is true. What did reading and writing look like in your childhood?

Sharon [00:14:00]:
I love reading. I actually still read physical books. I physically like to read books. So if you give me something online, I will print it out and I will highlight it and write in the margins. If you look at my PDFs they're all covered with little sticky notes because that's just how I process information. I have to read it. Like, I have to think about it. So audio, I can comprehend it better, but my process is better if I read it. Because when you read, you activate a different part of your brain. And I think reading also helps hone your critical thinking skills. Because if you're reading, then you're thinking about the words. And as you're thinking about the words, you're coming up with a process as to how this would play out. And then listening, if you're listening to it, I feel like listening will invoke emotion, and then reading actually invokes your ability to think0. If that makes sense. But that's how I look at it in my process.

Kathie [00:15:02]:
I know people who listen to the audiobook and read the physical book at the same time.

Sharon [00:15:07]:
Yes. Well, you know, there's seven different learning styles. So for me, it depends on the subject. If it's math, then I have to visually see it. Like, I was in school, and I would be like, how did you go from nine to three? I know nine divided by three is three, but I didn't see you do it. I have to see it play by play. It depends on what it is and what part of my brain needs to be activated.

Kathie [00:15:44]:
What are some critical thinking skills we can apply when, “Oh, I'm so upset about this. I'm so upset about that. What can I do, man? What can I do?”

Sharon [00:15:52]:
I tell people to first breathe.

Kathie [00:15:54]:
Oh, okay.

Sharon [00:15:55]:
Because most of the time, if you control your breathing, then, you know, most of those negative emotions that kinda start to fling you, and I learned that through doing meditation. So I tell people to breathe, and then I tell people to think about the issue. If you had a magic wand, what steps would you take to change that? And then write it down and then come up with a plan.

Kathie [00:16:18]:
Do you read information from both sides?

Sharon [00:16:21]:
Yes.

Kathie [00:16:22]:
And you can do that and not lose your mind?

Sharon [00:16:24]:
Yes. You have to know all the things.

Kathie [00:16:27]:
Can't do it. Can't watch TV.

Sharon [00:16:29]:
I mean, that's fine. And also too, everything isn't for everybody. Like, everybody has their role.

Kathie [00:16:35]:
I like that.

Sharon [00:16:36]:
Everybody has their role. So your role may not be the person to watch all the news sites. Your job may be to be like, hey, I heard this. You may be a messenger.

Kathie [00:16:47]:
I like that.

Sharon [00:16:48]:
Everybody has a role.

Kathie [00:16:49]:
Personally, my role is to spread happy molecules as often as I can in public.

Sharon [00:16:55]:
So see, you would be the messenger.

Kathie [00:16:57]:
Oh, that's wonderful. Being the messenger.

Sharon [00:16:59]:
See, there's a role for everybody. Everyone doesn't have to do the same thing.

Kathie [00:17:03]:
And if somebody does want to get involved with policy, with civics, with, you know, just get in there and get their hands dirty, what would you say would be a good first step?

Sharon [00:17:13]:
Well, there's my website, reallifecivics.com. I send out an email every week with, a summary of news at the federal level, the state level, and the local level. I always encourage people to download the KET legislative app at the state level. Oh, and also tune in to Renee Shaw, “Kentucky Edition.” It comes on at 6:30 eastern time, 5:30 central time, and she does a good recap of what happened in session that day. And then you also have your League of Women Voters chapters.

Kathie [00:17:43]:
In any state.

Sharon [00:17:44]:
Yes. Look up your local and state government. And even though it's something just as simple as breathing…

Kathie [00:17:50]:
Oh, goodness. Wouldn't that just solve everything?

Sharon [00:17:52]:
It makes a world of difference. Just like having that pause, having that moment to gather.

Kathie [00:17:58]:
Yes. The pause and getting that emotion under control. Yes. And breathing physically, physiologically, literally helps.

Sharon [00:18:08]:
Yes.

Kathie [00:18:08]:
It really does. Can you imagine what this world would be if we all just took a big deep breath and chilled for a second?

Sharon [00:18:17]:
Yes. Like, just pause for a second. Or also understanding that just because you have an opinion, doesn't mean it needs to be shared. Everything doesn't need to be shared on social media. Like, I have opinions about everything, and I don't go sharing some things. I just keep to myself. Or, also, if someone posts something and you don't agree with it, guess what you can do? You can scroll past it.

Kathie [00:18:40]:
It's so simple. Does this require my energy? No. Next.

Sharon [00:18:46]:
Right. And everything doesn't deserve your energy because, you know, we only have so much. So we have to conserve it. Just journaling. I journal too. Journaling, that's writing.

Kathie [00:18:57]:
Oh yeah. What's your journal practice?

Sharon [00:18:59]:
I need to do better at setting time for writing, but I write as another form of therapy. Like, I see my therapist, but sometimes too if… I have therapy every other week, but sometimes I just need to get it out. So I just write. I just write as a way of releasing it. Because sometimes when you talk to people, they automatically assume that you want advice, and sometimes I don't want advice; I just want to vent. I just want to release. I just want someone to listen. And that's it. I just need to get it off my chest. So sometimes I just write. I have a journal that I use for writing down personal stuff, and then, I believe in God, so I have a journal that I write in if I need to communicate with God. I have notepad for Real Life Civics. Because sometimes if I'm at work and I have an idea, then I jot it down. Because, of course, I can't work on Real Life Civics while I'm at work, but if I have an idea, then I'll jot it down in my journal.

Kathie [00:20:04]:
That's so cool. Yeah. Journaling is for real.

Sharon [00:20:07]:
It's so helpful too.

Kathie [00:20:08]:
This has been so interesting. Thank you so much for being on the podcast.

Sharon [00:20:12]:
You're welcome.

Kathie [00:20:13]:
Have a fabulous day.

Sharon [00:20:14]:
You too. See you.

Outro [00:20:17]:
Thanks for listening to this episode of Writers Rotation. Like and subscribe for more. And remember, writing is a marketable skill. Smiling is a remarkable skill.