Hoping for healing in 2022
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In My Humble Opinion
Jodi McDade
Here we are on the last day of 2021. Tomorrow we start a fresh year, and, I’m guessing, we are all hoping for some much needed changes and improvements. Unfortunately, the horizon is not looking all that good again this year.
We are facing the third year of uncertainty on many fronts – mandates, closings, job losses, inflation, and lack of goods. All we can do is hunker down and ride it out. But, we do have an opportunity this year to change the political directions in our state, local and national governments if we are not happy with the way things are going. Elections have consequences, and we are certainly suffering the consequences of 2020. So give careful thought to the direction you want to see in 2022 – which will carry into 2024.
I’d like to step back and clarify the point to my last column that was titled “Upstanding people may not be what they seem.” I think I was a little hazy on my explanation because I was really talking about the importance of the “little guy” or the “forgotten man.” In the sermon I was talking about, it was explained that – in the day – shepherds were considered to be the low of the low on the human scale. They were uneducated, homeless and dirty. But God considered them to be the ones He wanted to know about his son Jesus FIRST! He didn’t call the rich and well-to-do people to the manger; he called the lowest of the low to be the first to hear the good news. And throughout Jesus’ life he reached out to other people who were not considered important in the eyes of society. Right up to his crucifixion Jesus sought the diseased, the poor, the cripple, and the outcasts to share his message with. So, yes it is true that “upstanding” people may not be what they seem, but the same can be said for the downtrodden. Your level of importance in life is not always the same as where you are on the social or economic ladder. I hope that helps.
We had another very well attended County Commission meeting Tuesday. Even though there was not much on the agenda, it was still very educational. There was an attempt to return to only one commission meeting a month, but that was not approved. The attendance at both the morning meeting on the second Tuesday of the month AND the evening meeting on the fourth Tuesday of the month has increased in the last few months. That attendance is keeping some topics from falling through the cracks. Several of us have tried to video the meetings and put them out on our private Facebook pages so more people can see how our local government is run, but there is growing blow back on that. And, I understand that because the videos can unfortunately be seen by people outside of Coosa County, and we don’t always have our best foot forward for the world to see.
With the last two years of isolation and shut-downs, many public meetings have been held online using several platforms – Zoom, webinars, etc. Even the Alabama Association of County Commissions has asked counties to consider some type of live streaming for their meetings to keep the public aware of what is going on. It would be great if we could come up with a way for the video to be available to all our people, but not air our dirty laundry to others. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The best case scenario would be for people to attend in person, but that is not always possible so we need to find alternate ways for our local governments to be transparent and open to the public.
December has always been a sad month for me because of the deaths of several people who meant the world to me. I have now made it through December – and even put up a small Christmas tree to make my brother Terry Wilson happy! He and Ran refused to allow me to wallow around and not have some Christmas spirit! We traveled to see Christmas lights in Fairhope, Mobile, Stone Mountain, and Callaway Gardens. This week we made the great lights in Weogufka and hope to do some other local spots before they are taken down. I don’t know what I would do without them!
This year January will be a difficult month, but I am trying to be optimistic. Last December and January I was dealing with a very sick husband and trying my best to ignore the severity of the situation. Then, on January 20, we lost Paul Perrett who had been sick for several weeks. The same day we found out that chemo would not help Larry, and we had to make some tough decisions. The next Monday, January 25, God made the decision it was time for Larry to be out of his intense pain, and He took him home. Two days later, the husband of a close friend dropped dead of a heart attack. My life and the lives of Dianne and Sandy were altered forever, and we are still getting our feet under us.
We lost many other people in 2021, and I’m not going to start naming them all because I will miss someone. All of you know who you are, and be assured you are all still in my prayers as I hope I am in yours. May 2022 be a year of healing for all of us.
I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and happy New Year. See you next year!
