Favorite One
Weekly update 7/31/2022 to 8/6/2022 #132
I think we all have that favorite picture with a loved one or a group of friends. Go ahead and think of yours while I share about my recent week serving as mayor of the best smalltown in America.
Recently, Jamestown Apartments had a chance to bring back National Night Out for the neighborhood. This event is held on the first Tuesday in August and is a chance to build relationships with each other. This year's event had public safety officials, non-profits, and some area businesses in attendance. I know I saw at least one young man learning about all the buttons in one of our Seymour Police Cruisers and his face said it all with a smile from ear to ear. Thank you to the Jamestown staff for hosting the event and inviting so many to take a chance to get to know their neighbors.
Every month I host a Pastor Chat at City Hall to touch base with our area clergy and to share various items we have going on in the city and hear anything they want to share from their congregations. After we shared details of the Seymour Shares Time Bank, I asked the question, “What is weighing on your heart today?” I won’t head down any one path for the weekly update, but I know several have been on my mind ever since. Thank you to everyone that takes time out of your busy schedule to attend. I really do appreciate our chats, and I hope you feel your time connecting with other area clergy is worth the investment as well.
Several members of the city team took time from their week to attend the Global Leadership Summit 2022. I have to admit that a few years ago when I attended I was aggravated with Mayor Luedeman not being able to attend the full summit. As I had to leave some this week for various reasons, I now understand how difficult it is to fully clear my schedule for two days to make it happen. I was excited to hear that the event will be available after the event so I can watch the sessions I missed when I had to leave. I am looking forward to not just catching up, but watching again a couple of the sessions that I enjoyed the first time. I am also looking forward to reading several new books that I have ordered from various presenters at the event. Thank you to all of the city team that attended and thank you to The Point for hosting the event to help grow our area's leadership skills.
Time to get back to that favorite picture. Jamey Johnson released the song "In Color" in 2008. It tells a story of a grandson asking his grandpa about some old black and white photos. He shares about the Great Depression and World War II, but in the third verse, he talks about “this one is my favorite one” and shares about him and grandma in the summer sun, the red rose, and her blue eyes. “And just look at that smile, I was so proud." I am sure when those pictures were being snapped that grandpa, who was probably not even a dad yet, didn’t realize it would be his favorite picture. None of us are probably aware enough to realize at the moment when they are snapped. As I look back on my favorite photos, some I remember more details about than others. For example, my current favorite picture with Zabrina isn’t from one of our proms or even our wedding. It is a picture my mother-in-law snapped at a family get-together. It is just two 30-somethings smiling still as madly in love as those teens or 20-somethings in other pictures. Why is it my favorite? I don’t know, but it is. Another one is with Miss Matte as she jumped into my arms after a ball tournament championship. This one has been often duplicated but never truly recreated with as much joy as the first one. We will never really know when a picture and its thousand words will be the one that makes it to our favorites list. American author William Feather said, "One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure." Go and enjoy the adventure and leave great pictures for future generations to ask why they are your favorite ones.