First and foremost, I need to make a correction to my last editorial. As my brother-in-law Tom Slade pointed out, races weren’t held on Highway 77 back in the day, it was 180. I knew it in my head and put it wrong in print. He was one of the guys I’d go watch. So, I apologize for the error and grateful for the correction.
This week though, I’m going to switch gears (pun intended) and talk about another type of community involvement: volunteerism. Last week I spoke with a lot of kids in Joseph City about the value of volunteerism when it comes to noting it on resumes, and job, scholarship and college applications. These all have tremendous value to a student planning on moving on to big things once they graduate from high school. But it has an added meaning that includes the rest of us. In the act of serving, we put others first and gain insight. That insight might include improvements needed in a community or what assets it has that may have overlooked or forgotten. It may also provide the opportunity to see neighbors who lack the ability, whether it be due to finances or physical strength, to make improvements to the appearance of their home or property. In those instances, think of what a difference it would make to those people to have assistance — it uplifts not only the person being served but the community as a whole. We all know there’s plenty of work to be done, let’s all encourage our youth to take part in making our communities better for all of us.
