It is the time of year when monsters, ghosties and goblins are commonplace on the streets and front yards of Otsego County. Outsized cobwebs dominate front porches, business lobbies and pizza joints. Glowering faces of normally stoic gourds stare at us with demonic malice at every turn. And worst of all, once lush and leafy trees stand bare and cold against the failing light of early evening skies. Scary times, indeed.
Eventually, in the cold light of dawn, things seem much less scary. The streets are quiet, apart from early risers in search of a steaming cup of coffee. Children, who a mere 10 hours earlier roamed the streets in menacing packs demanding payment in lieu of unspeakable “tricks” are waiting patiently for the school bus. Once inflated pumpkins, skeletons and gravestones lay motionless in the grass. The world seems much less terrifying when not shrouded in darkness.
When our surroundings return to normal and the light shows us that the fears of the night before were unfounded, we all calm down. Its time to get back to work. Time to become ourselves again, letting go of the personas that we became the previous evening. We have things to accomplish, we have impacts to make and lessons to teach, and lessons to learn, as well. Let us all look forward to the dawn.
The world is a very scary place these days. War rages (again) in Europe. War rages (again) in the Middle East. Bogeymen of all types exist everywhere we look. The specter of hunger and the anxiety of rising costs of living seem omnipresent for so many. Fellow American citizens are ridiculed and demeaned based on who they choose to love, who they choose to support politically, the country they were born in (not their choice), how they choose to express themselves and what they choose to do with their own bodies. The same treatment is handed out to those suffering from the demons of addiction, the scourge of homelessness and the stigmas surrounding mental health issues. And like our communities on Halloween, fear and dread seem to be everywhere. But I promise, dawn can be just ahead. But instead of reliance on the celestial mechanisms of nature to bring about the light, for this bringing of the dawn, we must rely on ourselves.
Because on All-Saints Day, we do not leave our inflatables face down in the frost. We do not leave cobwebs on the porch and vampire makeup on our faces. We get up, clean up and straighten up. We do the work that is necessary to keep moving forward. That is what I am asking everyone in Otsego County to do. Move on, brush off and get better.
So, what am I asking for, specifically?
1. On Nov. 5, accept victory or defeat of your candidates gracefully. Do not gloat. Do not be a sore loser. Accept reality for what it is and admit that nothing was actually “stolen” from you and “given” to someone else. No matter if you see yourself as red, blue or a hue somewhere in between, accept reality as exactly what it is; reality. We are all Americans, and it is high time we see each other as such.
2. In seeking solutions to issues such as homelessness, addiction and mental health, start with the realization that individuals affected in our communities are fellow human beings, fellow citizens, friends, family members and neighbors. As such, everyone should be treated with compassion and respect. These issues are complex and require comprehensive strategies and exhaustive implementation to make an impact. This is not a hamlet issue, a village issue, a city issue, a county issue or a state issue. It is our issue and its solution rests with us. All of us. If anyone wants to help, be ready to put up or shut up. Be ready to put your hard work, your time, your leadership, and your money where your mouth is. Because other places havinge the same issues does not matter. We do not live in other places. We live here.
3. As we pull together to solve our problems, we do not have to work with people who look like us, talk like us, dress like us, worship like us or drive vehicles like us. In fact, our collective efforts and future impact will be much stronger if we do not. Different people bring different perspectives, outlooks and life experiences to the issues confronting all of us.
It is up to you. Will you be willing to do whatever you can to stand up to fears, or are you content to ignore the dawn and subject yourselves to perpetual terrors and things that go bump in the night? Halloween is almost over. Let’s go to work.