Liberty’s lamp in this land of opportunity is bright enough to us all

Liberty’s lamp in this land of opportunity is bright enough to us all.  Last week, local organizers developed a Jubilee celebration on Main Street, over what proved a busy weekend with  the Coronation of King Charles III and the running of the Kentucky Derby, events this ardent traditionalist awaited with an ample degree of glee, but the development of the Jubillee provided food for thought. We all can have ideas on solutions for a multitude of problems, stemming from our own varying ideologies and walks of life, but I began to think much broader, especially when sometimes it feels there’s a need to save all of us from this ever changing world, where values and ethics seem to change on a whim. We are, it sometimes feels, far too influenced by pop culture, invited into our lives around every turn. Small towns, like my own and many others, are no different. We tend to look outward, rather than inward at what we have and what we can do for ourselves; take heed to those graduating from high schools and colleges. You are an asset.

Historically, we have been warned of our apathy. Nearly a century ago, a group of 12 men gave rise to a new found renaissance, and I’ve wondered if we don’t need a resurgence of men and women like the Southern Agrarians, to inspire new generations to believe in what they already have and how to make it work in their favor, rather than dream of alterations and other worlds. It’s important to know that we can discuss ideas all day, and there is a need for that, but, like in our individual lives, it first takes a belief and an abandoning of self-criticism to make ideas a reality. To deeply paraphrase a famous inaugural address, ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for yourself.

Lately, I’ve been encouraged to see so many, locally, are taking the plunge into entrepreneurship.  Main Street, Whitley City, is coming alive; the jubilee and the Public Library’s Shop Local event in early December were inspiring. It’s good to see Whitley City bustling, smiling faces greeting one another, armfuls of goodies with pep and merriment in their steps. Not to get too bogged down in numbers, but it’s these actions that help our overall economy, providing services and an all-important belief in ourselves that will transcend 2023 into the next generation. A mentor of mine, the late Dr. Anna Mary Creekmore, who had travelled the world as an expert in her field, once said that we – speaking very definitively of a local condition – need to stop waiting for superman to swoop out of the sky to save us and utilize homegrown talent to save ourselves. If you knew Anna Mary, that’s exactly what she would have done. It feels like that belief is taking hold, and it is, we can hope, a domino effect, where we inspire one another to action. After all, we are our own best and cheapest source of public relations and the face we present to the world has a significant impact. No matter where we stand, individually and collectively, we can always be better and do better.

Amidst this season of milestones, I hope the roots of such conviction are securely formed, because we can make the difference.  We can be the catalyst for change.  We can be inspired and inspire others, and, if we look closely enough, we can live by the example of those who came before. “Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone,” President Reagan said. “I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way.”

That, too, would be my dream, for myself and for all of us.