Several weeks ago a new reader commented on one of my posts. She ws so eloquent and spoke so directly to my heart, I emailed her and asked her if she would not mind writing a post for my blog. I am humbled that she agreed, and so proud to present her to you now.
First, a bit of information about her:
Her name is Sharon McMillan and she blogs at New Urban Mom and she is also on Plurk, again as New Urban Mom. I would encourage you to add her blog to your blog reader, and friend her on Plurk.
And, without further adieu, I give you her brilliant thoughts:
I know “photo ops” are part of the political process and we really shouldn’t read too much into them, but I was really encouraged to see President Bush welcoming President-elect Obama into the White House during a visit this past week.
Beyond the historical significance, I couldn’t help but to feel I’m living in a new and promising age as I heard President Bush expressing his support for President-elect Obama. The global financial crisis and its pinch on the U.S. economy would have a lot to do with the “spirit of cooperation” in Washington and around the world, but nonetheless it’s refreshing to see…and feel.
Yesterday I listened to President-elect Obama speak about the need for a new spirit of service and sacrifice among Americans during his first weekly online address and I thought I’ve got to do my part–now. Our leaders are attempting to show such a degree of cooperation and clear sighted dedication to dealing with this problem that I think we can with confidence follow their suit.
Like many of you, I have family and friends that will be affected by a collapse in the auto sector – in fact we’ll likely all be affected if that happens. I worry about the impact that a uncertain economy will have on our schools – especially in those communities that can least afford any more cuts in education.
So instead of holding my head in panic, I decided that we need to do something. My particular focus is in helping to keep communities vital and attractive to new residents and businesses—primarily because I’m a strong school advocate and schools need revenues that our businesses and residents can bring. Here’s what our family is doing:
- Investing in our community – and that includes everything from choosing colleges close to home to vacationing and shopping locally.
- Instead of buying clothing or gadgets that our kids don’t really need for Christmas, we’re going to support a home-grown, community resource that brings joy to residents and attracts business and support for the struggling city of Cleveland – we’re going to purchase Cleveland Orchestra tickets and take our family there for a Christmas gift we’ll enjoy in so many ways.
- We’re purchasing regionally manufactured clothing, toys and as many food items as we can for a local family in need (something we do every Holiday Season).
There is probably so many other things that we can do to help our communities through this period. If you have ideas about helping local economies across the country, please share.
