Fall is my favorite time of the year. It has a coziness about it that is so comforting. Sweaters and warm mugged drinks are the best. I particularly love fall in West Virginia. Leaves on the trees in all their beautiful colors. All on one tree. Happily coexisting.
Many years ago I was the music director of an FM radio station in Phoenix, AZ. One of the very cool benefits of that job was that I was able to listen to nearly every piece of music published between 1977 and 1979. It gave me such an appreciation for all the musical styles. I attended rock concerts, blue grass and jazz festivals, country, funk, R&B, folk, soft rock…free tickets to each, and the great privilege to hear some of the best musicians ever to perform in America. It was glorious fun! We were all young and free. The Vietnam War was behind us and young people were a strong voice for change in an evolving country. We were not afraid of change, we embraced it. We knew that change represented growth, not only for us but for the nation.
Fast forward to where we find ourselves today. While we are fortunate to live in communities where neighbors still greet one another with smiles and are always eager with a helping hand, many of the states around us regrettably feel like battlegrounds.
When I travel throughout out counties and beyond, I am proud to represent the businesses that make up our membership and our communities. I invite people to visit. I urge them to spend a day in our communities, to appreciate the scenic beauty. I assure them that they will not meet a friendlier or more generous bunch of people. In great measure, that has been my personal experience over the past 28 years of living here. Maybe I only see the world that I want to live in. I do believe that we create our own realities and I chose to see only what is best in people and places.
We are faced with an election season that in many ways will define who we are as a nation. I don’t know what the outcome will be, I just know what I hope for. I hope for a nation and a world where every voice is heard and respected. Where children are taught respect for themselves and for others. Where we care enough for the planet that we are willing to make small sacrifices to protect the great gift of earth. Where our freedoms that so many died to protect remain intact. I will always hope for those things and hold my breath.
**VOTE**
In the words of the prolific Bob Dylan as performed by Richie Havens:
