‘What’s It All About Alfie?’ We’ll Have Some Rocky Mount Answers Come October 10, 2023

What’s it all about Alfie
Is it just for the moment we live
What’s it all about
When you sort it out, Alfie
Are we meant to take more than we give
Or are we meant to be kind

Authors become important to us because they give us language for our experiences. When I search for that language, the lyrics of songs often come to me. As I write this blog piece, the words to Alfie and only Stevie Wonder’s, rendition, is a song that says far better than I can, my thoughts and emotions when trying to write about the October election. This election is a ‘What’s it all about moment’ for Rocky Mount.

Who will make the decisions that enhance or diminish life in Rocky Mount after the election? Over a multitude of things, I think many are asking, what are we all about? Surely it is about family, jobs and opportunity, the quality of education, our health and safety. It is more than growing Rocky Mount’s economy; life is about love and kindness, living an examined life, prayer, looking out for one another, doing the right thing, and lending on that old golden rule the song speaks of. If you can take the time to listen to the link for Stevie Wonder’s amazing version, I hope you understand how it moves me beyond the politics of life here in Rocky Mount and says, Stepheny, remember what is important. Click on:

https://youtu.be/gMQ_Hj7_mxc?si=DRxqN2Khwi7QhVvt

You know me well enough by now to know I believe this upcoming election for Mayor, and Councilmen in #1, #4, #5 is far from ‘a no-never-mind’ day on the calendar. If I can put Stevie Wonder and Alfie into the election equation, which makes perfect sense to me, you know I’m running on high octane sweet tea in these closing days of the race. At this point, I believe Mr. Knight takes more than he gives and maybe this is one of the reasons the Alfie-song came to me. These September blogs are my way of handing out cups of water as the candidates run by and to the voters I envision going to the polls. In spite of the amount of social media and personal contacts, the good ideas and intentions, the new faces engaged in the process, the CHANGE will boil down to voter turn out.

I’ll remind you that in 2019, in Ward #1, there were 2,196 registered voters. Andre Knight received 748 votes Tarrick Pittman received 584 votes, write-ins – 5 for a total of 1,337 cast votes.

Since then Ward 1 has lost population. I can’t give you the total votes that are available this time. In Rocky Mount’s election, removing Councilman Knight is part of ‘what it is all about’ this time. Ward #5 still needs Lige Daughtridge and in Ward #4, T. J. Walker. Both men bring rhyme and reason to the leadership of Rocky Mount City Council and beyond. We need them. I wrote about the Mayoral race here: https://mainstreetrockymount.com/2023/09/07/rocky-mount-nc-mayoral-race-raising-the-bar-on-expectations/

We may not agree on the answers to this election, but I’m sure we have no disagreement over Stevie Wonder and his music. Enjoy the moment.