Happy Tomorrow!

Tonight at 12:01am the calendar will change from 2011 to 2012 and yet that is all that will happen (unless God has other plans).  As I tour the internet off and on today all I have read is how tough this year has been, and I will agree that there have been things that have happened that my life could have certainly done without from my perspective and I am sure there has been hurt and pain for many, but what I truly do not understand is why people think that just because the numbers change that life will dramatically change with it.  Tomorrow someone will scratch off a lottery ticket and win $1,000, but also tomorrow someone’s heart will be broken and it has nothing to do with flipping a page or buying a new calendar.  Life moves on at the pace that is determined, the only thing that CAN change is how you handle the good with the bad and whether you have chosen to curl up and let life pass you by because it is painful at times, or that you have chosen to milk it for every good moment that comes along.

There have been times in my life that I thought the pain was more than I could bare and I was never going to be the same, and I was right, but the next day came and no miraculous peaceful feeling came to over-ride the pain, serenity did not happen with the snap of my fingers, those things came gradually as I learned to capture them and hold them for when life came at me with both barrels.   Things did not all of a sudden become great, grand and beautiful because I could cross another day off a calendar, the great, grand and beautiful came because I lived my life the best that I could with the things and feelings I was given.

So tonight when you kiss your partner at the stroke of midnight, or bemoan the fact that you are alone with Ryan Seacrest as the ball drops, or snoring under your blankets make the decision to make TOMORROW a great and grand day, not next year, not 2012, but because you were given one more DAY.

Pardon Me Andy Rooney

There have been lost of things going through my head lately and I thought of how Andy Rooney would complain about random things, so I am going to take a page from him.

Did you ever wonder what makes people think that a last ditch effort to make someone else look bad was ever thought to be effective?  The borough council meeting on December 21st was painful to say the least.  It's not as if after the second person got up who lived in the same neighborhood or even the same street that the agenda was not known.  I sat there rather irritated at the childish antics that had emerged, through a poem that had no place in council chambers and questions that the answers had been given over and over again and then even a personal attack on Jamie Bruton.  I thought what do they really think they are going to accomplish other than make themselves look silly and a bit vindictive?  Then those very same people left once they had tried their best to humiliate council members and other issues were discussed which effect their lives just as much, but I will leave their motives to you to figure out as they were quite transparent.

Did you ever wonder why people think that just because they are family of friends that they can take advantage of you?  My husband and I had just that experience.  There was contract in place and what was done is a clear violation of said contract, but to take it to court would cost more than at this point it is worth.  It still makes my blood boil a bit when just because you know people on a personal basis that they feel it's OK to bend the rules or even break the law.

Did you ever wonder why people who meet in a store feel it's their due to stand in the middle of the aisle or in front of merchandise and chat to their hearts content catching up on Aunt June's bunion surgery and then are offended when you say excuse me in a loud voice since they didn't move the first three times?  Why is it that people find it necessary to block aisles and "catch up" when most of us, especially in a grocery store, want to get our stuff and get out?  Do they not own telephones that they can call these people later?  Do they not have their email address so that they can regularly correspond?  In this world of instant communication one would think that, "Hey how are you?  Give me a call later!" would be a great way to get the job done and get out of the way.

Do you ever wonder why people feel that people in the service industry like car salesman don't have families that they would like to go home to, or that they actually do have to make some money on the goods that they are selling?  So many times people walk into a dealership at 8:45pm and wish to go on a test drive and then have the salesperson "run numbers" when the dealership closes at 9pm.  Then the customer promptly tries to guilt the salesperson into it by asking "Well don't you want a sale?"  Yes they want a sale, but the dealership has been open for 12 hours already and some of them have been there all day and want to go home.  Then there is the customer who wants to negotiate because the salesperson "makes so much money on each car."  Want the low down on sales receipts?  A salesperson makes a mini deal on a new car which means maybe $100...now after you get done with taxes and health care there is maybe $50 left.  Yes a salesperson may sell 5 new cars that week, but $250 a week take home does not pay for much.  Then there is the all important customer who thinks that he or she should pay for the sky and get the sun, moon and stars thrown in for free.

Did you ever wonder why at a time in the year when happiness and good will toward man (no offense ladies) should be abundant, it's in such short supply?  Have you said, "Thank you" or "Yes please" or "Thanks for your help" lately?  If not maybe you need to take a personal inventory and clean out the crud.

No matter what 2011 has been an eventful year and I am sure that 2012 shall be just as exciting.  I hope that everyone has a happy and healthy NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas

Yes, I said it, the politically incorrect holiday moniker for this time of year,  I bet you won't be surprised when I say tough nuggies if you don't like it.  When I was growing up this time of year was filled with Christmas parties and gift exchanges and wait for it..........cheer.  Now it's a time for people to be rude, intolerant, cranky and mean spirited.  It seems that once it was no longer "Merry Christmas", but "Happy Holidays" grinches began appearing more and more frequently.  Let's face it, it is Christmas, it's not "The holidays" we don't exchange holiday presents, kids don't go to see holiday man and we certainly don't celebrate holiday baby.


I have no problem wishing someone a "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Kwanza" if that is what they celebrate, so why is it so difficult for others to wish me a Merry Christmas?  If companies, schools and other public entities don't want parties to be Christmas Parties then don't have them before Christmas, have them in between Christmas and New Year.  This way there is no conflict and it most certainly is a holiday party.


The thing that I have the most difficult time understanding is if you don't believe in God and the birth of Jesus why would a person want to celebrate a day that does and why it's ok for you to want to change it to suit you?  I would never think to interfere with Hanukkah, Kwanza, Eid ul-Fitr, Bodhi Day or even Yule.  Why is it ok for those who don't believe to hijack a day that is set aside for those of us who do?  Why is it that those of us who believe have to alter our day to suit your needs and we must be the ones who are tolerant? Don't you think that it is about time that spiritual tolerance goes both ways?  So I will say it again...MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

They're Just Words

Small town politics is not all it’s cracked up to be.  Neither is trying to hold those in those offices accountable for their actions.  Just recently it was pointed out to me that my words could be used against others, that they can be acerbic or they can be thought provoking.  The last two I can live with, the former not so much.  Happenings in our little borough can be as happy as a resident realizing a career goal and being hired as a full time officer, or as down and dirty as the council race that concluded just this past month.  Wonderful occurrences like neighbors looking out for each other, or working against each other out of spite.   When these things happen especially the ones that are negative or prove to be negative they make me angry for a moment and I may write about them.  I may hold an elected official to the fact that they are working for the people not against them and that he or she needs to remember that.  I may be surprised and displeased at the actions of someone and mention things that correspond to my own experiences, but that does not mean that I don’t admire them for fighting the good fight. 

 When I go to the polls I vote for the person who most matches my thoughts and ideals and sometimes I have to make a compromise.  If there is work to be done I will work with anyone for the good of the town and it doesn’t matter if I disagree with you on one issue because on another you may have great insights and fantastic ideas, just as I in your thoughts are about 15 degrees right of center when we disagree or even fight.  I don’t hate anyone…..ok well there are a few, but no one I know personally and I will work with just about anyone.  But as even my friends will tell you I will call you on what I consider to be either inappropriate or in my eyes plain wrong.  However, using that trait that I have to hurt others either personally or professionally is not what I am all about nor is it something I would expect of people I know, friends, colleagues or working acquaintances.  If anyone has been personally harmed or taken to task because I said my piece then I am truly sorry.  I chose my words carefully so that they should not be taken out of context, nor used as a weapon and I apologize if anyone saw fit to do exactly those things to anyone else.

Integrity

      Integrity means- adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.  Unfortunately in the race for Downingtown Borough Council integrity seems to be in short supply.  When the candidates were announced for the three open seats on borough council this coming term I was excited to see such young, new faces wanting to help govern the town that I live in.  I thought that this would be an opportunity to bring a unique perspective and a fresh new attitude about politics as usual.  However, that changed on Saturday when a “letter” was mailed out to residents of the East End of town about each of the candidates which was if nothing else a desperate last minute attempt to sway voters (see below).  The letter shamefully puts more credence on degrees and endorsements than on service and character.  It states that one of the candidates is a Downingtown High School graduate, yet his children attend a private Charter School.  In one of the columns it is stated that two of the candidates care about D’town yet the other is funded by a political action committee.  How that has anything to do with how much a person cares about their community; I must have missed that memo.  I personally want a candidate that listens and is not waiting to answer the question I did not ask to hear their own voice.   The letter states that one candidate is the best one PAC can buy yet the others are endorsed by old school Downingtown who have run the town like it has always been run and has gotten us to the place that we are.  I don’t know about anyone else but I would like to see the “old boys” of Downingtown given the rest that they deserve and bring in new fresh blood that can help hold taxes at a minimum, balance a budget and create a more business friendly town.  Founding ad hoc groups that do little if anything and being members of homeowners associations don’t prepare anyone for office, but serving the community by volunteering your time on committees and commissions and taking the time to know who lives here and what their visions of Downingtown are is the way to influence voters in my book.

     The backroom politics that have emerged because of the desperation and fear leading up to the election on Tuesday has seriously disappointed me, angered me and made me ashamed to say that I live in Downingtown.  We should set ourselves apart when it comes to elections and maintaining the integrity of the town instead of getting down and dirty and displaying the kind of base backbiting politics that got many old time politicians elected and then indicted.

     I can’t tell you who to vote for, but I hope that you will take a look at the photo posted below and remember that if we want integrity in office it starts on the campaign trail.

Definitely a Contender

An article in the Local News section of the paper today highlighted the three candidates that are vying for the two seats that will be available in the November election for Downingtown Borough Council on the East side.  I know each of the candidates and they all have their strong points, but I feel one of the candidates has been given less of a chance to have his voice heard and has had less “press coverage” than the other two.

Matt Zaun while a very quiet young man, and is also a very dedicated and caring individual.  When I first met Matt I had no idea that he was on the Historic and Parks Commission for Downingtown until we encountered him helping out at the Log House Craft Fair the first year we participated.   It’s not widely known that Matt has assisted in building homes internationally, has helped feed the homeless and will truly hear what you have to say.  I have often wondered why that is and now, having worked with him on various projects and really getting to know him and his lovely wife I have found that these things are not known because Matt is not willing to blow his own horn for accolades.  It has been said that the gentle shall inherit the earth and if that is so, then Matt is the go to guy.

When I read about the other candidates for the seats on the East side of D’town, the main topic is revitalization.  Matt has been pushed aside and given an “also ran” status because his ideas do not rely on revitalization that really would be difficult to accomplish, but smart growth which will help fill store fronts on Lancaster Ave. and give the small businesses in town that have managed to stick things out a helping hand.  Matt wants to set up a business committee that will help the small businesses in town with issues that only come with being a small business owner, which in turn will make it more attractive to have a store front in Downingtown on Lancaster Ave rather than the Main Line or somewhere else. 

I have had occasion to speak with Matt about things in Downingtown and what he sees as the best assets and what can be improved.   When a resident has that opportunity to speak with Matt he/she gets the feeling that he really is listening instead of thinking up the next campaign point that he/she is going to bring up.  One gets the feeling that even if he disagrees he will find a way to come to a compromise that works for both of you and if not he will tell you why it doesn’t work instead of ignoring the idea all together or simply saying, “No.”  This innate ability may have been cultivated by his and his wife Courtney’s involvement in their church Cornerstone in West Chester.    It’s not a usual occurrence to see the dedication and deep caring that Matt possesses and I believe it will serve him well as a Downingtown Borough Council member.

Good Neighbor Community

As long as I have lived in Downingtown I have always heard the mantra "Good Neighbor Community" and while so many great things go on in the borough sometimes the most rotten of attitudes reside among the "good neighbors".   So many times I have heard instances of residents calling the Codes Department, or the Police or any other official before even going to the neighbor themselves and possibly resolving the issue or getting an explanation for the situation.  Sometimes even when the "whistle blowers" have been given the information that is necessary to prevent a call to a borough official it will be ignored.  If you are having a difficulty with a neighbor wouldn't it be much more productive to ask them what the problem is and maybe you are in a position to help them resolve the issue or time is needed to correct it.

Growing up I remember a time when neighbors watched out for each other.  If I had done something that was not behavior that I was supposed to display I got told about it by the lady whose house I was in front of and by the time I got home my mom knew about it.  We knew our neighbors names even if we didn't socialize or we could wave and knew the greeting would be returned.  Granted it is a much different world today and neighborhood watches are a necessity, but those watches should be working to encourage people to be good neighbors, reminding them to turn on porch lights if activity is in the area, watching houses of families on vacation, making sure that the elderly have their sidewalks shoveled and simply knowing when someone doesn't belong in the area.  There should not be an atmosphere of "search and destroy"...how many violations can we find, or how many suspicious characters can we bother the police to come out and check, how many neighbors can we alienate because we did not bother to check the facts before calling in the officials.

My challenge to you as a Downingtown resident.  Find out the names of four of your neighbors.  They do not have to live right next door.  If you already know that many expand your horizons and discover four more.  Downingtown can be so much more if we work together and actually live up to the "Good Neighbor" motto.