Paint Me
Weekly Update 5/7/2023 to 5/13/2023 #172
For almost 20 years since Tracy Lawrence released "Paint me a Birmingham," I have had a visual of a house on the northwest side of Seymour when I would hear it. Well, that was until four something Saturday morning. Before I share more, let me tell you about my week serving as mayor of the best smalltown in America.
Congratulations to Seymour’s newest police officer, Devin Hill. Devin qualified during last year’s hiring process, but asked if we might still have an opening after he finished college. Knowing that we had some retirements coming up, Chief O’Brien encouraged him to finish and even brought him in as an intern during his senior year. Welcome to the department, Officer Hill, I wish you a long and safe career serving the citizens of Seymour.
The 27th Annual Day of Caring was this last week. Over 600 volunteers helped out on over 60 projects around Jackson County. Projects ranged from non-profit organizations to senior citizens and helped make a big impact for our area. While this year’s event was not the largest they have had, it did more than double over last year. Keep up the good work, Jackson County United Way and the committee that puts in the hard work to bring Day of Caring back year after year. I can’t wait to see if you can clear 1000 volunteers and 100 projects in 2024.
I always enjoy a chance to speak to the leaders of tomorrow, and this week, Yojack gave me that chance during their final meeting of the school year. Eighth graders from around the county enjoyed activities and lunch on their final day, and I was given a chance to proclaim it Yojack Day here in Seymour. We reviewed items they had learned during the program and how they come into play every day as you work alongside your friends and neighbors to try and make our little piece of the world a better place. Congratulations to this year’s Yojack graduates; I look forward to seeing how you use your new skills over the coming decades.
I guess it is time to get back to that opening thought and why I no longer see a home on the northwest side of Seymour when I hear it. Before last year, I had never been to Birmingham so as the artist painted a picture with words I saw what I was familiar with. A house on the edge of town with a porch that wraps all the way around. Now last year my wife and I visited Birmingham during a vacation, and I realized as I listened this morning that my visual of this song is now different. As all of our experiences make us who we are, I know you can learn a lot about someone by what they are passionate about. I also ask myself what life experiences have they had that make them question the items they question. Were they wronged and now watch for that item because of it? Did they wrong someone and carry that guilt with them and is that why they fight the battles they fight? While oftentimes we will never know the answer, we can still try to find common ground to work forward from. I encourage everyone to remember that our actions and reactions are based on our life experiences, and especially when we see someone having an emotional reaction, we should choose kindness when possible. Five years ago, I shared “There are some people who always seem angry and continuously look for conflict. Walk away; the battle they are fighting isn’t with you, it is with themselves.” I have never had any luck finding a reliable source for this quote but still find it to be true. I hope if you are fighting your own battle, that you can find the source because when you do you will open a whole new path for yourself to learn and grow from and it may very well improve relationships with those around you.