Historical April–May 2021 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
I just returned from the most interesting and challenging vacation. Our family went to visit my youngest daughter at The Southern AmeriCorps headquarters in Vicksburg, MS. Due to strict Covid protocols, we could not step foot on her campus, she could not come into our hotel room, we always had to eat outdoors with Sarah at a separate table, and we had to ride in the car with masks and all the windows down. (FYI, it rains A LOT in MS in the spring). Despite the rules we were so grateful to be able to visit with her and hear everywhere that we went about how much Vicksburg appreciates the AmeriCorps volunteers.
A program that our government got so right. (Don’t write me letters, I know that there are things in AmeriCorps that could be done better, but the concept is awesome) Never having been to Vicksburg, I was delighted by how warm and welcoming the people were, how beautiful the area was, and how Vicksburg puts its history on display – the good and the bad.
We actually visited the Vicksburg Civil War Military park on two separate days.
The painstaking effort with which this battlefield is documented is astounding, with each specific skirmish over the three months being documented by both a confederate and union marker laying out the logistics, the missing, and the dead.
On another day we went to the civil rights museum in Jackson, MS. So beautiful and so painful.
It is so hard to acknowledge that these events happened in our own country, especially living in this neighborhood, so diverse, so active, and so accepting. How could anyone allow these things to happen?
On the day after our arrival home, Andy reminded me that we had a Zoom meeting with one of the groups that we were on.
I will be honest, I was tired from driving nine hours, I was crabby, and I didn’t want to go – even though the meeting was just upstairs via the computer. Andy reminded me of the important topics that were going to be discussed, the redrawing of our aldermanic wards, the ballot initiative of the city earnings tax, the mayoral election.
I went to the meeting, and as usual was so grateful that I did. (Andy is often right about these things).
It was refreshing to hear expert opinions, diverging ideas, and the reasoning behind the issues.
I was reminded that what we can do is not always to solve the huge overwhelming issues that our country faces, but to contribute where we can.
The local issues are just as important as the national issues and where we can affect the most change.
After my kids were adults, I jumped into so many committees and activities that I burned myself out very quickly.
I have reigned back in a bit and focused.
I do feel better for contributing where I can.
I challenge each of us to find at least one important issue and to find time in your busy lives to engage, participate, and contribute. Andy suspects you will feel all the better for it.
I agree.
If you need any information about organizations in the city that could use your help, reach out to us and we can direct you to organizations that would love your assistance and where you can make an impact.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April–May 2021.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2021_04.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
