I wanted to get a better feel for the size and boundaries of my ward, so over the weekend I loaded Corbin (my 4 year old son) into the car, drove through Sonic for some drinks, and we drove the perimeter of ward 1. It took about 50 minutes to drive the full border. I’d stop occasionally to grab some pictures of what I saw, and let me tell you, what I saw staggered me…
I saw open fields and undeveloped land filled with natural beauty. I saw land being developed, with the promise of new homes and commercial districts to come. I saw businesses big and small, thriving and struggling. I saw homes of every shape and size. I saw country clubs, and golf courses. I saw boarded up houses, and buildings reduced to rubble. I saw the inside of a gas station bathroom because Corbin had to go potty about half way through the trip.
All I could think through out all of this is that these are the people that I’m going to represent. People of all kinds, economic statuses, varied backgrounds, and experiences. I needed to find out what was important to all of these people and some how bring them together in a united vision about making Jonesboro better for everyone. No easy task to be sure, but one I intend to take very seriously. Over the coming weeks and months I intend to meet with as many folks as I can in ward 1. I want to learn what’s important to you, and where common ground can be found. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, and a lot of knocking on doors, but I believe the task to be important and worthwhile, because I earnestly believe that Jonesboro should be for everyone.
