I'm a PATRIOT!
Whether that turns you off or on, please finish reading this post!
The word patriot may bring to mind a number of things... maybe you're a fan of a team. Maybe the site of the red, white and blue fill you with pride and brings tears to your eyes when you hear the National Anthem. Maybe being a patriot makes you march or rally for a cause.
Whatever it may be. I have something in common with those people that live in this area we call North Park that makes me a patriot of another kind. I call myself a North Park Patriot.
Like many, I share a love-hate relationship with the weather, the long winters, the lack of entertainment and shopping venues. However, some of us see that in reverse and find entertainment in what's right under our noses here in North Park. Maybe it's finding joy for generations that sled the hill, or finding a fascination in golfing on ice in subzero temps. I'm a Patriot for more reasons than the mountains that surround this vista I'm so lucky to wake up to every day.
I'm a patriot to North Park because of the village of people that help us raise our boys into amazing young men. Young men that are independent and love to buck the system; they follow their own arrow. Yet these young men have grown up to learn the value of a community that always have their back and understand the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone to help when somebody’s in need. These young men have learned to offer their floors to strangers that are stranded in snowy weather. They are part of a community that send anonymous gifts to injured players from teams we don’t even play.
This is what makes me a patriot of our community. This community believes every individual has a place in it and a purpose in the community, therefore we believe in the future of this community.
North Park has seen rough times in the last 10-20 years. A loss of jobs; a loss of student numbers; a loss of faith in our community. Yet so many people hold onto to our humble childhoods and the life we’ve grown accustomed to. North Park takes care of you and it gets into your system. Once you live here, if you leave, I promise you will be back even if just for a visit. I believe in the future of North Park. We’re standing on the edge of giant changes in our community. Which way do we go with so much potential ready to erupt? People live here because we love it. One might not always like everything about it but they love the sanctuary the bullpen creates.
I believe working more together for the
common vision we all have will encourage growth in Jackson County. Job growth. Population growth. Main Street growth. Good things are going to happen here and I hope we can start a movement in Jackson County as North Park Patriots because we believe in the future and want to make life here better for ourselves and generations to come. What makes you a North Park Patriot?
