I made it, I’m officially an octogenarian. I have witnessed technological advances beyond my wildest dreams, while our political system, upon which I comment regularly, has suffered dysfunction.

There’s nothing like a milestone birthday to produce reflections.

The scrapbooks are out for a family celebration at a local restaurant’s Sunday brunch. My grandson, the new doctor, wishing to know grandpa’s life story, is recording me with a new microphone for his podcast.

My working life started at age 18, in Lewiston, where I achieved my childhood dream of becoming a radio announcer. A job transfer to Augusta eventually resulted in my selection as Maine Sportscaster of the Year. This distinction undoubtedly led to a career opportunity in television in Ohio, where I was a co-founder of the Ohio Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association.

An opportunity to create and manage a new radio station, WABK, in Gardiner, brought me back to Maine. I managed and owned radio stations, then created a pioneer cable TV advertising and production regional interconnect for State Cable TV (now Time-Warner). My wife and I owned and operated an advertising agency.

I had a separate career in politics, beginning at 21 as president (acting mayor) of the Auburn City Council. Later, after successfully defeating an environmental threat as president of the Preserve Augusta Neighborhoods Association, I served in a leadership role on the Augusta City Council.

For 25 years, I worked, without defeat, as political consultant and campaign manager for numerous local and regional candidates and successful referendums. I got the chance to advise three different gubernatorial candidates.

Columnist and author, J.P. Devine suggested in a recent column that everybody should write a book. I offer my personal history as prelude to a question: Do you think that my life’s adventures would make for an interesting book?

I’m thinking about writing a book presented as a how-to manual from a biographical point of view, essentially offering lessons learned. I have an outline with chapter headlines and a prospective title. Here are a few teaser excerpts:

• The cop came out of the hotel room, leaving the woman behind, and escorted my intoxicated opponent to the police cruiser. He was dumped into the vehicle, while I watched in disbelief, from the front seat. Would this turn of events assure my election?

• I recruited the candidates and ran myself. It was a clean sweep — four councilors gone. In the first election in which I was old enough to vote, I was chosen council president and acting mayor. The taxpayers had spoken. The city manager left.

• My radio interview with John Fitzgerald Kennedy came at midnight. Thousands shivered as light snow fell in the park that would eventually bear his name. Many held candles, illuminating this surreal scene. It was four days before the presidential election, the first and last time that I would be in awe of any man.

• The first TV interview that I conducted in Ohio was with Cincinnati Reds rookies Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. My last football game there would be Ohio State vs. Purdue at Ohio Stadium, which seats 100,000. My next broadcast, several months later, was Gardiner vs. Skowhegan from the bleachers at Quimby Field, on the new radio station that I had returned to Maine to build.

• There it was, the smoking gun, a political consultant’s dream. My candidate’s opponent had told the alternative Portland Phoenix newspaper, “Gov. (John) Baldacci refuses to allow us to raise taxes.” Turning the election into a referendum about taxes, we upset the Democrat state representative.

• Some councilors were working to defeat my candidate for re-election. Sitting at the computer, I drafted “the Politics of Personal Destruction.” Some people said it was a big mistake, but it worked — we won again.

• I said to LePage in the fall of 2009, “Your great story will make you the next governor of Maine.” I wrote “The Paul LePage Story, Waterville’s Maverick Mayor,” and created his first position statements and ads. Two months later, I had discovered what all others eventually learned — Paul doesn’t covet advice. I voluntarily moved on. As I had predicted, however, LePage did became governor in 2010, with 36 percent of the vote.

My book, if completed and published, probably would be titled “Relentless,” a nickname I received from Jan Rollins, wife of Augusta Mayor Dave, and Bill Stokes, former mayor and now judge.

It’s been a great life with my wonderful wife of 58 years, Gaby, and our family. May God bestow as many blessings upon you as he has us.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone — 2016 will be an exciting year for a political writer.

Don Roberts, a former city councilor and former vice chairman of the Charter Commission in Augusta, is a trustee of the Greater Augusta Utility District.

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