To say 2018 has not been a good year for me is an
understatement, but one on which I do not need to dwell. Instead, it is best to find some good. A
recent Commercial Appeal article on my friend Julie Allen, stills volunteering
at 93, is exactly that. President Bush’s funeral was a testament to the good in
civic and personal service that can me done long after leaving office. Former
Mayor Bill Morris’ maxim that service does not end when a job does is one that
he has lived out and one that all of us need to embrace. My time of leadership
may be past, but I still find ways to serve and hopefully to lend a hand to
younger people in their endeavors. It is important for me to find the balance
in giving too much advice and being available when needed; sometimes I miss the
mark on finding that balance and I apologize to my patient young friends who
put up with me! Memphis is on the brink of great things and at the same time
suffers from some debilitating problems…an observation that you can cut, paste,
and repeat since 1819. To look at all that needs to be changed is daunting, to
look at the bits & pieces that you and I can do to make our town better or
a day better for one person, that is do-able and in fact, is vital.
