WAITING IS DOING SOMETHING

In the famous words of Jim Miller of Camp Greystone, Tuxedo, North Carolina, “If you don’t have a plan, you are planning to fail.”

Those words seem particularly appropriate as Rocky Mount looks toward the 2027 municipal election.

By then, Councilman Andre Knight will have represented Ward One for twenty-four years.

That is a long time for one person to hold a seat on the City Council. There are those who regard longevity as evidence of experience and those who believe that a community benefits from periodic changes in leadership. I have made no secret of my belief that it’s time for a change.

When is enough, enough?

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III reflected on President George H. W. Bush’s defeat in the 1992 presidential election.

Baker explained that one difficulty facing Bush was that Republicans had occupied the White House for twelve consecutive years, eight under Ronald Reagan and four under Bush. Whatever their accomplishments, they faced the challenge of demonstrating that they still represented something new.

Baker said, “Change is the only constant in politics.”

His observation raises an interesting question about the nature of leadership, the value of experience, and the moment when a community begins considering a different future.

In Ward One, twenty-four years will have passed when voters make their next decision.

For several years, I have written on Mainstreetrockymount.com about my preference for citywide voting rather than electing City Council members solely by ward. My reasoning remains straightforward. Once elected, a council member makes decisions affecting every citizen of Rocky Mount.

Although we do not yet have citywide voting, the principle of citywide interest does not have to wait for a change in the law.

Only Ward One residents will vote for their council representative, but every resident of Rocky Mount has a legitimate interest in the decisions made by that representative.

We do not yet know what the full field of candidates will look like in 2027. It might seem that there is little to do but wait.

But there is another kind of waiting.

Actively waiting.

How about an old glass jar sitting on the kitchen counter? Into it go the occasional pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Nothing particularly impressive happens on any given day. But the jar reminds us that small beginnings have a way of becoming something larger. When the time comes, those collected coins could become a contribution to a candidate’s campaign.

Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.

Over the coming year I might have $25.00 in that jar, and you have $15.00 and someone $30.00. It adds up quickly and painlessly.

Our personal social media pages and everyday conversations offer opportunities to exchange thoughts about the election. Candidate forums and public meetings will provide opportunities to hear directly from those seeking office and to ask questions about their plans for Rocky Mount. Attend the Ward 1 forums even though you don’t live in the Ward.

None of this requires a quarrel about the past.

There is no need for the old childhood business of “Nanny, nanny, booboo!” or “Your mother wears GI boots,” nor for pinning the tail on the donkey. We are capable of considering the future of our city without reducing the conversation to personal insults.

There is a difference between waiting for something to happen and preparing ourselves for what comes next.

The election is in 2027. Preparing for Rocky Mount’s future can begin today.

— Stepheny Houghtlin