Your Community Needs People Like You to Lead

 

I went back to my hometown on July 20, 2024, for the 40th anniversary of my high school class. There were 51 graduates from Ash Grove High School in 1984. It was great seeing 22 classmates, telling stories, and catching up and enjoying a nice meal together. (Class photo taken at reunion is above). The step back in time also reminded me of the opportunities I had, and the opportunities that still exist there, in the small town of Ash Grove.

I grew up in Ash Grove from the mid-1960s to the 1990s. I then managed a newspaper in Willard during the early 1990s. I have lived in Republic since 2002. I can confirm that these towns have changed a lot during my lifetime!

“You Can’t Go Home Again” is a book written by Thomas Wolfe. In it, he tells the story of an author who returns home only to discover that the town residents are mad at him because they see themselves in some of his stories. Then he writes this famous line: “Back home to time and memory which cannot be recaptured.”

No matter how detailed or pleasant my memories are about the friendly small town experience of growing up in Ash Grove, things have changed. The town has changed because people have changed.

Those lazy, hazy days of the 1980s can never be recaptured. I can hop on a 10-speed bike and ride all over town, and it will not matter. I can even be a lifeguard for a day at the city pool, and it won't be the same (plus that swimsuit will not fit). I can cruise Main Street at night with my window rolled town playing music, and it will not feel the same. I may even get pulled over by a local police officer, but the town and the experience will be different. 

The experience is different because the people have changed and people make a community. I see this clearly each time I visit Ash Grove. Change is a constant for any community. A community can either grow or die but there is no standing still.

Sometimes the change in a community is due to external forces. Businesses come and go and so do roads, railroads and resources. It can also have to do with changes in our culture or due to the increase or decrease of healthy churches in the community. 

Change in a community can also be a reflection of changes in us. The harsh reality is that changes in a community can also be because of the choices we have made. 

Sometimes towns change because good people turn a blind eye to community challenges. Sometimes the changes have greed or pride at the root. Sometimes the change is positive because residents choose to focus on the positive, or the assets.

Our communities need leaders and volunteers who are positive. Our towns need community leaders that are agents of peace. Our towns need neighbors who are willing to engage and connect. Every town needs people willing to do the right thing, for the right reasons.

This could mean that you need to be a community spark plug to keep a local event or festival going. It could mean devoting energy to community needs but doing it in a way that is not self-serving. It can also mean leading in a way that brings people together on issues, not creating a wider divide.

Being an agent of change may require you to make personal changes or alter your priorities. It may require that you establish peace in your family first. It almost always requires you to make a choice.

Our communities need healthy individuals, stable families, and mission-minded churches and institutions that build and support the community.

Our communities need residents who will commit energy to their neighbors and neighborhoods in a way that creates positive relationships and positive experiences.

Why wait for someone else to take a step forward to lead? Stop pretending that we can recapture the past. We cannot recapture past glories. But we can work together to ensure a strong future for our communities.

One step to help you is participating in MU Extension's Neighborhood Leadership Academy. You will join other like minded individuals from all over Missouri who want to make their neighborhood and community a better place to live! Learn more online.

I will say, growing up in Ash Grove during the 1980s provided me with opportunities to learn and to lead. From Student Council and Beta Club to strong teachers and quality sports teams, I was given many opportunities to lead and that experience has positively impacted my life. Those opportunities still exist, be sure you do not let them pass you by.

BTW, thank you to Randy Hansen for taking some great photos!

MORE INFORMATION

Does this article make you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? Five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com.

Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.