Today we sit with confidence behind the keyboards of our smartphones and our laptops poised to jump on any and everything that might cross our screen. Often, our knee-jerk reactions flow from our brain into our fingertips and on to the World Wide Web without much thought or concern for others. We begin throwing accusations, “They always do this. – They never do this. – They don’t care. – It is all their fault.” I know this might be hard to swallow, but THEY is YOU.If you are part of a community, and all of us are, you have many rights, liberties and opportunities. Some examples would be the ability to work, shop, sell, buy, create, guide, encourage, inspire, define, patronize, begin, play, reaching out, building up, and engaging.
You are a member of a not-so-exclusive club called they. No matter your affiliation with race, sex, religion or creed, each individual is part of the group. Before you decide to blame everything on everyone else, remember that you are part of someone else’s they.
‘They’ might be the city council. ‘They’ might be the public schools. ‘They’ might be the youth. ’They’ might be the elders. ‘They’ might be investors. ‘They’ might be corporations.
I think you understand my point. Everyone has the ability to be a positive part of a ‘They’.
Reading online comments, negative and positive, is part of my everyday life working for moreClaremore.com. I have been fortunate to be around many people who are not sitting back and complaining or wishing their lives away, but instead are putting their dreams into motion and building resources that will make our town better.
I don’t know how many of you will read this article from top to bottom, but I hope you will take away one thing: You is they and they is you. Take pride in your status as a citizen of a great city and go be heard. Volunteer to help at that event you thought was poorly run. Create a program that helps the people you feel are being let down. Build a place for children to be entertained. We are only as strong as our citizens, and the people of Claremore can make this “small town” we share better each and every day.
Time isn’t slowing down and yesterday is gone. Today is all we are guaranteed, take your today and don’t complain about how ‘they’ are lacking. Look inward and become the ‘WE’ that accomplished the goal.
-by Travis Peck
MCM Staffer
MCM Staffer
Great article Travis!! Top to bottom!!
THIS! Well done, Travis!!
This is very well done! I think the only thing I would add is that sometimes we type out of frustration, when we say those words they might linger in the heart that heard them, or you could even say sorry and they forgive and forget. But when you type them on the web they are there forever to be seen and even if you apologize it’s not attached so years later if it’s seen by someone else they can get all in a righteous huff for something they’ve seen someone complain about that might not even be true.
Bravo, Travis!
Well done! Agree!