“Deliberately Diverse” represents the individual thoughts and opinions of a group of Taylor friends who almost never completely agree about anything but are gratified by the opportunity to stimulate deliberately diverse discussions in our beloved community.
Today’s column represents the thoughts and opinions of Mitch Drummond, not the Taylor Press.
I ran for the city council in 2018 because I saw an opportunity to be of service to the city I have loved all my life. I’m often asked if I enjoy my position on the Taylor City Council. I tell them it’s a challenging job, one that someone has to do for our city to function and one which I accepted. The reality is I was terrified.
I am an introvert and struggle with social anxiety and depression and have spent most of my life trying to stay under the radar. I don’t regret the decision to volunteer. I’ve learned a lot about running a multi-million-dollar business and hopefully helped my community, and if I had it to do over again, I would. Sharing in a service to the community enhances our life experience and our neighborhoods.
I believe that when we are born into a community, we share a social contract. The fact that we are reading this today proves we were fed, clothed and educated. We readily accepted all the benefits of living on this planet, this country, this community. That is part of the contract, but that’s only half of it. There is also a debt to be paid.
Everything we receive comes at a cost. Giving back is the other half of the contract.
Being a part of this community, we share in the benefits and the burdens, which are not equally distributed. Many are burdened with illness, lack of food, shelter, transportation, or experience social injustice.
They missed out on many of the benefits of the contract. Others, myself included, have received an overabundance of these benefits that we sometimes take for granted.
At some point, we need to meet our contract obligations and give something back. First thing that comes to mind is donating funds to nonprofits and social causes, like providing shelter and meals for the unhoused.
It’s easy. We donate, wash our hands and walk away, but someone has to make these things happen.
Many of our senior members are unable to prepare nutritious meals. Who will feed them? Childcare is expensive. Who will make sure that our children have a safe place after school while the parents are at work.
Some of these issues require training and skills to adequately address the needs. Consider our first responders: Fire, Police, and EMS, and then there’s our teachers, medical providers, sanitation and social workers and others.
All of us in some way contribute to our community through our jobs, but is it enough? At the end of the day, we go home to our families assuming that someone is going to be responsible for the others.
Who is that someone?
Maybe this is the year we stop and look for those opportunities. Step out of our comfort zone and join with our neighbors in caring for our community. Maybe 2023 is the year more of us will show a little love, volunteer somewhere and begin meeting our contract obligations.
