Certainly Uncertain
Weekly Update 7/30/2023 to 8/5/2023 #184
How certain are you about that? Before I wrap up this thought though, let me share some of my week serving as the mayor of the best small town in America.
Welcome to Seymour Police Department Officer Levi Peacock. Early this week he was sworn in with family, friends, and new coworkers in attendance. As I have shared before, the newly hired officer will start his career with extended training that will carry him into next year. He will be required to continue his training for the length of his career both with required annual courses and also with training he requests to improve service to our community. Congratulations Officer Peacock on your start, and I look forward to watching you grow over the years to come.
This week we also said some goodbyes as well. As the summer interns start to leave for college and high school we said goodbye and thank you to them as well for all their work this summer. We also said goodbye, at least on a full time basis, to Dispatch Supervisor Toby Ortman. Toby, I know many officers appreciated your calm demeanor during stressful calls, and I am sure many of the current dispatch team has learned more than they know from you over the years. Thank you, sir, for your service and best wishes on your new adventures.
This week I also had the chance to hear my future son-in-law deliver the sermon at Immanuel Lutheran Church here in Seymour. For the last year he has been serving as the vicar during his third year of seminary at Concordia St. Louis. I am impressed by how much he has honed his skills over the last year and can even give credit to his sermon being the starting thought for this week's update. He shared about his worries as his wedding day approaches at the end of the week. Will he be a good husband? Further out, will he be a good pastor? So many unknowns except one. I am going to leave it here and encourage you to go search YouTube for the July 30th 9 a.m. service at Immanuel Lutheran Seymour. His sermon starts at the 32 minute mark. I will back up just a little though and focus on the starts to the unknown. When I got married in 2000, I had no idea if I would be a good husband. Would different things drive my amazing wife crazy? When we launched our family business in 2003, it wasn’t any different. Will we make enough to keep the doors open? Fast forward to 2020 as I headed into my first term as mayor. Will I be able to do the job? Each one of these moments held more than just my example questions. They all came with so many that I won’t try to share them all. What I did know in all of these moments though was that I had prepared to the best of my ability. On getting married, I had watched my parents and even though their marriage, like all marriages, was not perfect, they kept working on it and have endured all these years. That example helped me prepare for finding common ground with Zabrina. With her help, we prepared for the opening of our family business back in 2003. With the support of my family, I embarked on serving our community as mayor. After standing with tears in my eyes giving away the bride, I know it will be ok as they set out on their new lives together. Troubles will come and troubles will go, but as Martin Luther King Jr. said, "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Best wishes and much love Jozie and Case as you set out as Mr. and Mrs. I look forward to watching you both continue to achieve your goals, and I have no doubt you will face your setbacks together even if the future is certainly uncertain.