According to Google, perspective is a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something, a point of view.
Life changes considerably when you approach even the worst situations from a positive perspective. Join me as I recap the last few days and try to share what I see as I serve as mayor.
Indiana has an organization called Accelerate Indiana Municipalities that works with cities and towns to connect officials around the state. This week, I had a chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with other mayors. I am always amazed when a mayor from a town of 3,000 or 100,000 starts describing a problem they might be facing and it is the same as Seymour.
Whatever it is might be on a different scale depending on the location but still the same root problems we may face. Thank you, AIM, for the chance to see how other communities are facing issues and sometimes the chance to realize Seymour really is a community with more than our fair share of positives.
Normally by this point in the year, the city council has finished hearing compliances, but this year with everything COVID-related, the deadline was pushed back a month. The council did hear the last of the 2020 compliances at the most recent meeting and is finished with that annual requirement until 2021.
They did get a chance to hear a presentation from Seymour Main Street for an alleyscape project. Updates on the 55 and over project on South Poplar Street rounded out the meeting.
As always, I visit with a local radio station the Tuesday morning after council meetings. This week, I sat down for the first time with Curt Nichols at 92.7. Check out the video from the live feed on my Facebook page. Thanks to our local stations for helping share what is going on in our community.
Water Pollution Control was my visit this week for a workday. During the visit, I had a chance to learn how they televise a line, clean some lift stations and see what a callout looks like. I will quickly remind everyone bacon grease does not go down the drain and flushable wipes don’t dissolve.
While working with the crew, I was reminded some drivers don’t give workers room to work safely. A honk of the horn and an angry dash by in your car doesn’t help. If you see them in an area, give them room to work and be patient. If you live in that area, they are working on a line that your house may very well feed into.
Having a positive perspective doesn’t make the fears or worries of the world go away. What it does, however, is turn Mt. Everest into Skyline Drive. It gives you a chance to find the good that is around you in our community.
Author Melody Beattie said, “It’s so easy to look around and notice what’s wrong. It takes practice to see what’s right.”
Everyone has the ability to find the positives and work to enhance them. When they do, the negatives will often decrease along the way. When you are working toward a better tomorrow, don’t get stuck in a loop that may lead others to see you as the boy who cried wolf because when they do, you have lost your voice for positive change.
Matt Nicholson is the mayor of Seymour. Send comments to [email protected].