I was present at two local government meetings last week that were, at least in part, uncomfortable for all. Voices raised, tempers flared, feelings hurt, and threats made. Frustration led the way. No matter how you define your “community” – whether it’s geographic, economic, religious, or by school affiliation – our community is very important. Each member of our community is very important. But our “community” is at risk. I doubt that anyone can pinpoint the date and time it started, but we’ve gotten ourselves into a “fix”. Our schools have been closer than ever to going away (for lack of proper funding). Our local businesses are hanging on by their fingernails as local customers go elsewhere. The town of Kimball is growing, but is headed toward becoming a bedroom community only. One group blames another for not doing this, or for saying that. Fingers are pointed, and blame flies through the air like a truckload of ping-pong balls. The reality is that we’re all in it together. I like the analogy of a swamp – not a fatal threat, but not a pleasant place to be either. We’re all waist-deep in a swamp of inaction and frustration. We can choose to fight, blame, bicker, and climb over one another trying to get out – and ultimately all drown in the swamp. Or we can choose to work together, get us all out of the swamp safely, and thrive. There have been a number of notable achievements here in recent years. New homes are going up, new families have joined us. There are stellar individuals who have achieved much. Organizations have done much. The problem that I see is that these efforts can be so easily undermined or forgotten amid the backbiting and sniping. An even bigger problem seems that one group’s achievement is sometimes seen as another’s impediment. Individuals who step in to help are sometimes criticized and even yelled at. The reality, though, is that what’s good for one is good for all. With coordination of our efforts and incredible resources of people, we can achieve so much more. As never before, I’ll go out on a limb to say, we have a wonderful opportunity to work together and make some great things happen here. I invite everyone who reads this to think what “solutions” they can bring to the table. You can expect more on this in weeks to come …
