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Column: Statesville keeps its wheels turning
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Published: June 27, 2009
Some people say we've had a lot of rain this year, when actually we've had a normal amount of precipitation. What is not normal is picking up the newspaper and reading that the almighty giant, General Motors, is stumbling into bankruptcy and your stomach tightens for all the people that will be losing their jobs. You feel sick for dealerships going under while banks slog along looking for solid ground. An airplane goes down in the ocean and everyone who flies secretly cringes at the thought that they could have been on that flight and then we read that cookie dough might have bacteria in it that can kill you. Cookie dough for goodness sake!
While pondering all of this dark news, I was walking in our uptown area early one morning enjoying the peace and quiet of a city at rest for the weekend. Along the way, I passed a father and small daughter in an empty parking lot. The father was trying to teach the little girl to ride a bicycle.
Apparently she had fallen off, and her father was talking to her, assuring her that he was with her, would be there beside her — just try one more time.
I saw her take a deep breath, stare at the bike as if she could scold it, then slowly mount and sit on the seat while her father steadied the bike for her. He told her to look straight ahead and her sense of balance would do the rest. He pushed her off and she began to pedal.
She was so surprised when it worked. The father ran beside her, giving encouragement as she began to move on her own power across the parking lot. Her father began to tell her to lean and turn to the left as she began to get to the edge of the lot. With some effort, she turned, and in no time at all was in control, laughing while her father stopped running and shouted congratulatory words. I clapped and gave them both a thumbs up.
About that time, my Blackberry went off and I had a message. It was an announcement that our City had won the title All-America City! I was probably the luckiest citizen at that moment because, with the exception of the father and daughter, I seemed to have the whole uptown to myself.
I walked along looking at the iconic clock tower, the shops with their different character of various brick facades and wooden doors now locked until Monday. I strolled along the wide, clean sidewalks and thought about the Friday after Five concerts, civic center events, the Pumpkin Fest and seasonal celebrations when the streets are closed and the people come out and enjoy cotton candy, crafts, music and fine food.
We've tackled drought and youth issues and have assimilated a growing Hispanic community and taken on economic downturns in ways that show we're one big community. We are darn good at problem solving.
Our people address issues head on and have an inner need to keep raising the bar of excellence. I felt pretty good about the ol' gal, Statesville and her people, that morning. She shrugs off falling airplanes, national recessions and foolish banking, preferring instead to revitalize neighborhoods, deal with the homeless and take care of her people.
Our city, Statesville, became an All-America City by keeping her balance, looking straight ahead and taking the turns as needed.
It's time for the folks who made this happen to enjoy the ride for a job well done and to celebrate — but without cookie dough. Thumbs up!
Joe Hudson can be reached at Joehud@hotmail.com and on Facebook.
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