By Staff
Arthur McLean
As you read this today, a new day has dawned, but I was really thinking of something a little deeper, more meaningful. Recently I took the chance to read again a book, The Traveler's Gift, written by Andy Andrews. It's one of those books that in an entertaining way, shows ways that you can improve your life.
While my family and I were at last weekend's "Taste of the South," I began to think to myself that this leadership class is actually demonstrating the first of the traveler's gifts.
To give a little background on the book, the main character named David Ponder visits different people throughout history at pivotal times in their lives. With each of these people he visits he learns a new lesson or is given a new gift. The first person he meets is President Harry Truman who is about to attend a conference in 1945 deciding on he bombing of Japan with the atomic bomb. Through their conversations Ponder receives the first gift which says, "The buck stops here."
Basically the gift is saying that no longer can we blame uncontrollable circumstances for our difficulties, but we must look forward to success, realizing that we are responsible for success.
This is what this year's Leadership Atmore class is doing. As some of you know, due to budget cuts, the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce was not able to receive as much funding from the city as it had in the past. So, what do we do to make up that money? That question was answered by the leadership class with last weekend's "Taste of the South." This event brought many of us together, uniting us as a community with some of the proceeds going to the Chamber of Commerce. Just as we talked about last issue, the leadership class could have cursed the darkness, but they instead chose to light a candle.
Now with that in mind the same applies to our elected officials who received the results of the electoral race last night. As I am writing this I don't know who might win, but whoever wins, I would ask that they take the stance, "The buck stops here."
Throughout this campaign we have all heard about the problems facing our community. However, how many answers to these problems have we heard? In my opinion not a lot of answers were given. I urge our elected officials to take their positions knowing that they as our ambassadors and we as a community can't help what industries leave or fail, or what other problems come our way. And, even though these uncontrollable circumstances might come our way, it does not relieve us from our duty. A new day has dawned lighting our path as long as we remember we are all responsible for our success.
Chuck Bodiford is an Atmore native and publisher of the Advance. He may be reached by calling 368-2123 or by email at chuck.bodiford@atmoreadvance.com