It’s a funny thing that happens if I stop and pay attention to “coincidences” in my life. I’m not one to believe in coincidences, which Merriam-Webster defines as “the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.” Well, in my experience these random moments do not necessarily happen at the same exact time, but seem to occur with greater frequency. Honestly, I don’t even call these random occurrences coincidences, but rather opportunities from God, little nudges to slow down and listen to whatever lesson He is trying to teach me.
I spent most of my working career as a school counselor; listening and trying to make sense of human behavior was the best part of that job. I recently interviewed the organizer of the Poker Run fundraiser for the Eureka Early Learning Center. During our conversation, she emphasized that the Eureka Moms Group is working hard to make the project a reality without expecting handouts. After the second time of mentioning this, I asked her why that point was so important to her. She explained that they believe working hard for this project is important and want the community to understand that, especially because there has been opposition to it.
The counselor in me wondered: why would there be opposition to county involvement in building a center whose mission is to support the children in this community, especially when there are not any readily available day care options. It was the opposition to this endeavor that made me think about another issue where the county commissioners were considering a real estate purchase. Many of the Main Street businesses were in favor of this purchase because the county has the means to deal with the destruction and the danger to remediate the deteriorating building. Although this sounded like a common-sense solution to an obvious problem, much like the need for child care, the county received some push back. Again, I wondered: why the opposition?
Just because I think something is a good idea does not mean anything really. The real lesson, I think, comes from comparing the end results. In the first example, the organizers listened to the concerns raised by the opposition. Instead of becoming discouraged or deterred, they became even more determined to build a childcare center without relying on handouts. The opposition actually strengthened their resolve. This created determination and drive, two very motivating factors for a group of moms who needed help with their children. Unfortunately, in the second situation, the commissioners have seemingly decided to abandon the project because of the opposition.
While the commissioners absolutely have a duty to listen to the citizens they represent, both the supportive and critical ones, they also have a responsibility to explore solutions when problems arise. True discernment means recognizing that some people will always share their opinions, but leadership requires weighing those opinions against the needs of the community.
Perhaps that’s the real lesson.
The Mom Group should be commended, not just because they are close to achieving what once seemed impossible, but they have worked on this project so long they no longer personally need the childcare it will provide. And still, they continue working harder than ever to make it a reality. –Winnona
Winnona writes about life, community, and the people and places that make rural Eureka County home.
