by Trey Johnson
Regardless of your beliefs, a house divided can not stand. Aw man, I hit a nerve that time. I can feel it. But listen Bladen County, for so long we have allowed division to cause problems with us getting along as a community. At the end of the day, those things that separated us have been so so minimal they should not have even mattered in the big scheme. We, as the community aloud it to grow into something much larger.
Let’s have that conversation among responsible adults who give a little to reach a solution. It really bothers me that every one nowadays want 100% of the take. How is that even imaginable? No one should expect to get 100% of their requests. How does that help our community, our families or more importantly our students. Bladen County, we can do this! I see us in the community at ball games smiling and have such a great time. We don’t care about our personal or political beliefs. Our kids and grand kids are enjoying the best days of their lives with kids of all creeds and colors. And you know what, it puts a huge smile on my face because I suddenly realize this is my next article to bring our community together. But the bigger question is, if it doesn’t matter then, why do it matter now.
We can no longer stand divided if we are to be successful. Our community is getting older and older as our young venture off to college with many choosing not to return to Bladen County. Now why is that? It’s probably because they found a better community with a better way of life. Yes, that right there will cause all of us to stop and pause. A child we raised in this county for 18 years, goes off to college or join the work force and never returns to live as a resident of Bladen County. I know every county suffers attrition at some point but clearly not like the attrition we are experiencing in Bladen County. If you are reading this, think. Do you have a child that went off to college and now lives and works in another county? That’s an eye opener.
Let’s give our next generation the reason to keep Bladen County alive. This surely wasn’t the case 10-15 years ago. Just look at how many educators in Bladen County that are home grown heroes. Then look beyond that cohort and notice the gap. This gap effects all families because no County is immune. Our advantage is we are a tight family loving community that people enjoy being a part of but we have to be committed to a community that’s not divided. Yeah, we got this, we can do this but we have to eliminate the divisions. Our next generation has sent us a clear message. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Past articles in the series:
Opinion Series: Teacher Appreciation Week
Opinion Series: Transparency is the Best Policy
Opinion Series: Team Work Makes The Dream Work
Opinion Series: We Need Heroes!
Opinion Series: Why is Bladen County Schools Enrollment Declining?
Opinion Series: The Relationship with the Community Matters
Opinion Series: It Takes the Entire Village
About Author
