An eye full of opinion.
It is hard to shake the doom and gloom feeling, when the Television Set constantly pumps out horrific news from around the country, and the world.
Financial institutions squeezing every penny from clients, regardless of any superficial moral or ethical barrier they may or may not publicly present. Credit Card companies employing barbaric third party businesses (Most which saw the profit at the start of this economic debacle) to harass and pressure hard pressed families to make payments on their super inflated pieces of plastic kept inside their wallets and purses.
Un-Popular political figureheads who all toe the same line, regardless of party of affiliation, leaving the rest of us to wallow in false promises of miracle over night fixes for our nation’s problems.
Every day we are fed reports of unemployment figures, economic doomsday scenarios, violent criminal activities, world leaders who definitely denounce the leaders and citizenry of our nation.
Yes, it is hard to shake that feeling that something is about to give..sooner or later.. Everyday waking up, viewing that dark storm on the horizon, knowing deep down that something ugly this way comes. Yet it is business as usual. You have no choice.
Check your bank statements online with a heavy sigh as you look over at the Christmas tree in the corner of your living room, followed by a quick glance at the clock, all the while telling yourself, that you can still post a few more resumes to monster.com or relax a bit, before you commit once more to your long commute outside of Harrison County to your job (Everyone tells you, you are lucky to have, regardless of the cost of fuel it takes, for you to commute to your job, back and forth daily)
While we all sit and wait, and watch events around us, I have been thinking, what is there honestly, from stopping us from helping ourselves, while the rest of the world builds up its hyper spastic tension?
I participate in a handful of action groups, within Harrison County, Ohio. Every meeting always wants to paint a sincere picture of our county. But I have noticed, that a large percentage of the time, the populace is casually left out of the equation of this future.
But I had heard a statement a week or so ago…what do this county need? How about a uber cheap hotel or two, out by Tappan Lake for tourists? Why not invite some major corporations to take root here, and dip into the pool of our available manpower? We need jobs! It was echoed.
Tax dollars began flashing through many eyes.. If only they could get these businesses to come from outside area, to come here! How perfect!
What I want to know is… What is wrong with the innovators, the business minded, the savvy folks, right here in Harrison County Ohio? Why can the concerned groups in Harrison County, not focus on picking our own people up, and getting them to their feet?
SO much time and money, and effort is spent on enticing others to help us out. When we fully, could just help ourselves? If time, and money, and effort is to be invested, invest in us!
Given the fact that I have a small shop on the corner in town, I get the chance to socialize with so many people who happen into my little corner of the county. There is so much potential for business growth, for employment growth, for improving our situation.
But everyone has roadblocks. Everyone is intimidated. And the groups that were designed to help these folks, are failing in their mission! Were is the fostering? The support? Where is the access to county funding that does exist?
I did not have a hand in misleading others into large bad investments. But do not punish the rest of the county that wants to improve our villages and towns.
The shop on the corner here in Cadiz, was started with a pocketful of lint, and alot of help from others who wished to see me succeed. I did not have capital to speak of. But I could of been considered wealthy, in terms of the amount of help I received from a select few business owners, family, and friends I had made, once I turned on that open sign.
There are so many of you out there that have a niche. A product, or a service, not to mention a plethora of ideas that would genuinely benefit our county. You also have a dedicated group of people trying to get our children involved with sports activities that were never part of our, I guess you could say traditional activities here. ( Kudos To the Harrison Youth Soccer League! )
No matter how many organizations, or groups exist, nothing will change without the populace of this county, standing up to make a beneficial change.
Our people need jobs. Local jobs. Folks should not have to leave Harrison County to find work.
My entire youth was spent listening to the avalanche of complaints about this county. How poor it is. How horrible it is. How boring it is. etc. etc. Yet people remain.
Look at the youth. The were raised here. Educated here, and then they feel for greener grass ( Which is not greener anywhere else mind you). What can be done to improve our area, to create a viable workforce, to create recreational opportunities that our children [ and their parents ] can put to use?
All it takes is our greatest asset here in Harrison County. Us. Forget what is happening in Columbus. Forget what is happening in Washington D.C. They make decisions that we can not yet control or sway.
It is logical that progress and growth is distilled down to this. Live here. Work here. Buy Here. Grow here. Repeat.
Give the people of this county a mission. Give them an attainable goal that can be accomplished. Instill a sense of pride and we can go far. Why should we sell ourselves out, to entice others to move to our county, when that specific industry could be started, fostered and created here, with our own people? Perhaps it is just me, But it just feels wrong.
It is time to help ourselves, and each other. This is MY County. And Yours. What say you?
