Kornegay explains his decision to leave Congress in 1969. Having served as the representative for the Sixth Congressional District of North Carolina from 1960 on, Kornegay discusses the ways in which it was difficult for him to balance the demands of work and family. Arguing that the demands of Congress prevented him from spending enough quality time with his family, Kornegay suggests that his decision to leave Congress was unusual; others tended to leave by "the box"—"the ballot box or the pine box."