Better
Weekly Update 10/2/2022 to 10/8/2022 #141
Twice a day the tide ebbs and flows. Before I wade into this thought though, how about some of my week serving as mayor of the best smalltown in America?
Many months ago, a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church Disaster Response team asked if we had anywhere they could train. They were looking for somewhere to work on tree removal and cleanup. This training allows them to brush up on their skills in the event they are needed after a storm. That training finally all came together a little over a week ago. As a city, we were more than happy to team up and help them improve so they could serve others in a time of need. In just over a week from now, some members will be heading south to use those newly polished skills to help with clean up from Hurricane Ian in Florida. Thank you to those who volunteer and best wishes on your upcoming work; you will be in my prayers.
This past week, I got a call from Chief O’Brien that I hope no one ever has to get. That call was that one of our officers was hit by a car and was headed to the hospital. I won’t go into the details as they have already been shared via a couple of avenues, but I will share that I was relieved to walk into the emergency department and see him somewhat cracking jokes with the nurses as they assessed his injuries. Thank you to all of our first responders for the work you do. It is often unnoticed and underappreciated. We would not be the community we are without your service.
Did you get a chance this past week to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen? If not you missed out on several interesting events. Thank you to the Molinari family for your work on putting together a week of dedication to a piece of our history. The Rise Above traveling exhibit was excellent and the newly placed statues look wonderful. If you did miss out, don’t forget the Freeman Army Airfield Museum is located here in Seymour and open every Saturday from 10 to 1. I truly look forward to seeing what grows from the seeds planted during the dedication ceremony on Saturday.
I guess it is time to wade back into that tidal thought. For some, it seems that they seem to change their minds as often as the tide comes and goes. For myself, though I can’t say that I have that problem very often. I know from personality tests that I have strong convictions and struggle to waver from those core beliefs. I also know that I shouldn’t expect the same from everyone that I meet and the fact that I do is often a cause of my disappointment in others. In 2015, within just a few short days of being elected to City Council, I was approached by a previously elected official. He shared that I was now tasked with governing our community. He explained that I wasn’t elected to watch out for myself, my family, or my friends. I was elected to serve all the members of our community, not just those I have a special interest in. Since then I have sometimes been accused of not doing that, but the sad part is that when that happens, it is usually because they don’t see the full picture. They don’t see all the information that I have access to for my decision-making. Many times, I have used the reference that Seymour is a million-piece puzzle and there is no box to reference as we assemble it. My role serving as mayor comes with the daily task of trying to best fit the pieces together that lead to a better tomorrow for us all and not just a select few. My life goal has been the same for many many years. “Leave the world better than I found it.” That goal was with me as a father, serving as a non-profit director, business owner, board member, and so many other areas. This goal has been front and center serving as one of the members of our city government in a few different roles now. I promise you today that it won’t change because future generations deserve the chance to enjoy our improvements and each generation beyond always leaving it a little better for the next. Today, I will leave you with a quote from author Jodi Picoult, "There are two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations." I hope you join me in trying to improve our reality.