Sit Tall
Weekly Update 3/26/2023 to 4/1/2023 #166
Back in 1989, Garth Brooks mentioned a worn-out tape of Chris LeDoux, and it led me to go find his music. Before I tell you about one of my favorite songs from him though, let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best smalltown in America.
As I have mentioned before, we are currently working on a study with the Brookings Institute. This week, we had small group sessions with employees from Pets Supplies Plus and Aisin. Members of the core team met with area pastors, and we had a chance to sit down with eight students from SHS for a lunch session. Listening to the concerns of our teens was a good chance to see our city from a different perspective,the perspective of the next generation. Hearing their like for downtown was an unexpected surprise and has sparked many conversations over the last few days. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the study so far, and I look forward to seeing what comes out of this work.
Congratulations to Circle K on the grand opening of their newly remodeled location on Hwy 50 near the interstate. If you have not tried the cookies, it is worth your time to drop in and grab a pack. They are baked in store and are a great side item for your next Polar Pop.
This week was also Ray Eakins retirement from Old National Bank. I have had a chance to work with Ray on a few different items over the last several years and always enjoy a good chat with him before or after the work was done. Happy retirement, Ray; enjoy your days as you settle into your new routine.
This week, I had a few chances to interact with the Seymour Young Marines. At an impromptu meeting earlier in the week, I shared what the organization teaches our youth with Senator Braun’s staff, and later in the week, I was able to attend their promotions ceremony where we learned about some special awards. Young Marine Viera was promoted to corporal, which from the events I have been able to attend is well earned. Just before that though, Marines Reynolds and Nava both received meritorious promotions to lance corporal and were given their awards for DDR (drug demand reduction) where they had worked hard and taught DDR classes outside the Young Marines. Congratulations to everyone that received awards at the event and, thank you for showing us that our future is indeed bright with leaders like you developing for tomorrow.
Now to get back to that Chris LeDoux song that wasn’t released until over a decade after I had discovered my like for his music. The song is "The Ride" and is a story of two brothers at a county fair when an old guy who smelled of smoke and rum gave the younger brother some advice that would stick with him for life. That advice was pretty simple and are words that I have tried to keep in mind ever since I heard the song. “Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high. Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain’t afraid to die and don’t be scared, just enjoy your ride.” Let me share how the chorus rings in my head. “Sit tall in the saddle” means to face your troubles. “Hold your head up high” tells me to stick to my values and don’t give into anything that I may regret later. “Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky” is a reminder to focus on the goal and not get distracted along the way. “Live like you ain’t afraid to die” is a reminder to live life to its fullest. “Don’t be scared” is self-explanatory and always carries into “just enjoy your ride.” These words have helped me to keep working hard and moving forward for the last couple decades and always seem to pop into my head at just the right moments. Now maybe you will find yourself looking up a singer songwriter named Chris Ledoux to see if his lyrics stick with you.