Story of your life

Weekly Update 7/23/2023 to 7/29/2023 #183

Can you tell me the story of your life? Has it changed over the years as you look back on it? Before we see where this thought leads though, let me share some of my week serving as the mayor of the best smalltown in America.

During my visit with Parks and Recreation this week, I had a chance to fill in for an employee on vacation. After helping clean the restrooms at one park, I spent the rest of my visit on a lawn mower. While I am not as efficient as our regular employees, I still feel like I was able to help keep the park presentable until next week when our regular employee gets back from vacation. I can also say I appreciate our parks team a little more after spending a few hours on the mower. They really do a good job of keeping their part of our community looking so good. 

This week, the Board of Public Works and Safety had a full agenda. We heard food truck license renewals, new food truck applications, special event requests, and celebrated some of our employees' anniversaries. We also welcomed a new firefighter to the department. Tyler Wayt was sworn in at the end of the meeting before summer Intern Kaylee Waskom asked for a motion to adjourn. She did an excellent job of leading the meeting. I can’t say thank you enough to the Board and Clerk-Treasurer Boas for allowing me to give our interns the chance to lead a meeting, and congratulations to Tyler on joining Seymour Fire Department.

This week, we had the last Finance Committee meeting before our upcoming Budget Workshop. We went over many changes one more time trying to make sure we have all the details in order before presenting the proposed budget later this year. I always try to find the balance between leaving some in reserve for unforeseen issues and keeping our departments' funding at an adequate level to keep our community moving forward.  State code directs that the mayor prepares and presents a budget to council. Then council has a couple of choices after they have reviewed what they are presented. They can choose to approve the presented budget or they can ask for it to be reduced. If my team and I have done our roles well, we get the approval we are seeking. Thank you to everyone involved in the annual budget process. 

Helen Keller said, "My friends have made the story of my life." I agree, even though the story has changed as time goes by. Perhaps some of you are familiar with the 5 x 5 rule. It is pretty simple as you ask yourself will whatever you are worried about still matter in five years? If the answer is no then you allow yourself five minutes to focus on it and then you move on. I am sure someone is already asking how this relates to the story of my life, and it is pretty simple. If you asked me to tell you the story of my life it continually evolves as time goes by. Some things stick like almost killing a friend as a young driver on a snowy day. Maybe it is saving that same friend a few years later on a winter night. Very few angry customers from my almost three decades in small business would make it into that story, though time has made them fade away. Currently, it might include an angry citizen because they are fresher memories, but they too will fade as time goes by, and instead, the story of my life will contain the major moments, good and bad, as they will endure the test of time. Your story will be made up of those things that will continue to matter five years from now. As seen in some of my examples from above, often

 those memories will be made with friends and family as they often are by your side in those big moments. Long story short, Hellen Keller is correct when she said, "My friends have made the story of my life."

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