What we've got
Mike Turnbull
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
I HAVE HAD the pleasure of living in Emporia for the past 35 years, and have always been proud to call this community my home. It is nice to visit a big city every now and then, but I am always glad to return home.
Life is always thought to be greener on the other side of the fence, but I truly believe that realistically, if you take down that fence, you will find very little difference in the color of the grass.
Life is what one makes of it. If I wake up in the morning and feel miserable, the only person who can change that attitude is me.
I walk out my door every morning to go to work, and it takes me a matter of minutes until I am at my desk and planning my day. And, as I drive the few blocks to my office, it always amazes me the many people who recognize me and smile their familiar smiles while politely waving. As I walk up and down the street to shop, there are few people that I do not know, and I am constantly stopping to have a friendly chat. If I attend a social event, business event, or ballgame, I can assure you that there are few people there that I do not know on a first-name basis. Emporia is large enough to have many of the big city benefits, yet small enough to have the intimacy and camaraderie of the small town where I was born and raised. I, too, do not like paying so many taxes; however, I understand that this must be done to support the services that are provided by our community and state. The benefits of a good quality of life, including a good education, local healthcare providers, and our outstanding police and fire departments, just to name a few, are immeasurable and must be supported in an appropriate manner. Do we have bugs to work out? Yes, as does every community. To paraphrase a JFK quote, ask not what your community can do for you, ask what you can do for your community. Emporia may not have it all, but it sure has enough to make me happy and proud to call it home.
Mike Turnbull
Emporia