Almost one year ago, 24 officials from around Jackson County took the oath of office in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Seymour City Hall.

After the year 2020 has been, this memory isn’t lost to me partly due to the stark contrast of what it would look like now.

Before that, though, how about we talk about what the last week has looked like from my seat as one of those 24 officials.

Sometimes, a week is full of presents just waiting to be unwrapped. Many of my meetings this week I can’t really talk about in detail. What I can tell you, though, is that one of those meetings allowed me to sit down with a local nonprofit that has exciting new plans just weeks from announcement that will lead to positive additions to helping those in our area.

Back in October, the city council passed a general obligation bond to help fund capital improvements for several departments over the next few years. This week, we sat down to sign the documents on these bonds. Much conversation goes into the front end of items like this, but by the time they are completed, many have moved on to the next item. Thankfully, we have those who are keeping on track and working to completion.

Last week, the city council heard a statement of benefits from Valeo. The expansion will add 43 new jobs here in Seymour and bring millions of new investment in equipment. While 2020 hasn’t been the normal year for many things, we have seen investments from businesses large and small, and our unemployment numbers are getting better each month.

I also was able to attend the Seymour Police Department’s supervisors meeting. One of my takeaways from this meeting was Capt. Troy Munson encouraging supervisors to communicate with him. With good communication, you can accomplish much more. SPD looks at the numbers from the previous 28-day cycle at each meeting to see what trends are showing and how to best approach the future.

Now to flash back to that swearing-in from late 2019, The Tribune quoted me as saying, “I hope other officials walked away feeling the excitement that’s in the air.” That excitement is still here for me.

I get to serve in a role that I enjoy and look forward to. That doesn’t mean every day is perfect. We have faced a year like no other. We are still stepping forward as a community each and every day. We still have businesses growing and expanding. We still have marriages on a regular basis.

Do all of these things look like they would have in 2019? No. Yet they are still happening. I shared these words from a former city leader earlier this year: “A city is either moving forward or it is moving backwards; there is no standing still.”

We as a community are moving forward. We are growing. We have our setbacks, but we are not moving backwards overall. We are definitely not standing still.

I hope as we head into 2021, you will consider how you can share your skills with your community. Get involved with things on the city level or via the great nonprofits in our area. The reward won’t just be to those you are helping but also within yourself as you give.

Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” May the year 2021 allow you to discover the greatness you have within and allow you to see how amazing the world around you can be if you allow it.