TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

A Kinder, Gentler New Year

ADVERTISEMENT

By CHRIS WESSEL

Published: January 1, 2008

With the dawn of a new year, it's important to get off on the right foot, to start with a clean slate and become that better person we've always hoped to be.
I don't know if it's the stress of the holiday season, the housing market bust or just a general decline in societal civility, but some people need to work at being more kind and courteous to others.
We all have a part, however small, to play in making our world a better place. Being considerate and polite to one another — the acquaintances and strangers that cross our paths each day — is something we all can do to make life better, and it takes little effort.
Although I've only been in Hernando County for a few weeks, I've encountered several instances of a general lack of civility and courtesy in everyday life as well as in supposed professional domains.
From the rude motorists who cut in front of others to get through the toll booths first to the out-of-order complainers who attend government meetings and resort to name-calling — pounding their chests like bullies on the playground — we all need to remember to put into practice those few simple rules we were taught as children.
From saying please, thank you and you're welcome, to holding open doors and letting others go ahead in line, it's simple to spread a little good will and make someone else's day brighter. It doesn't cost a cent to be nice.
Showing respect to others is the best way to receive it in return.
The results can be contagious — as are the slights, insults and transgressions we encounter.
I resolve to forever cease the salute I instinctively flaunt to those who purposely cut me off at the Cortez Boulevard toll station on the Suncoast Parkway. Forget that I have the right of way, that they don't bother to use their turn signal as they crowd me off the roadway onto the shoulder. (How do they know I don't have one of those electronic devices that allow them to fly through the toll station while I stop to dig for a quarter? Maybe it was the Kansas license plate formerly attached to my vehicle.)
I remind myself that St. Peter will make accounting of those folks as they stand at the pearly gates. For each time they cut in line in life, they'll have to wait for the more courteous to pass into Heaven.
It's easy to discount others when you live in a bustling community where most everyone is from someplace else. Anonymity mixed with diverse cultures can lead to indifference toward others. That's exactly why we should take the initiative to be extra considerate.
I was glad to hear that the incoming chairman of the Hernando County Commission, Chris Kingsley, plans to put a tighter reign on those who attend public meetings and berate officials. Meetings can quickly get out of control when rude constituents are allowed to spew unconstructive venom. The chairman of the Spring Hill Fire District should take the cue from Commissioner Kingsley and gavel down or remove those who lose control at meetings. Three minutes of well chosen words are plenty to get a point across. The time limit also works to keep some folks from later regretting their actions.
As the editor of Hernando Today, I promise to do my best to keep the discussion and debate on this page on point, to not allow personal attacks or disparaging remarks about different religions or cultures. Challenging ideas and opinions is fair game. Attacking individuals is not. We will always strive to be fair and accurate in our reporting and to allow equal space to the diverse and opposing opinions of the community. After all, it's your newspaper.
We won't always agree, and that's OK. It's the tone of the debate that matters, and I pledge never to use my position at the expense of others — even big-spending politicians and government bureaucrats who oftentimes forget who's paying the bill.
I also promise to promote our newspaper as the government watchdog that good newspapers are supposed to be. It's not personal; it's business. Most government servants are just that. Most politicians sincerely want to serve their communities by improving them. They deserve our admiration and praise.
A few are in it for their own self-aggrandizement and to line their own pockets. Like the rest of us, sometimes they make mistakes. We'll expose those errors and transgressions.
I can tell you that my family and I are grateful to be in Hernando County — especially this time of year — and that I have the opportunity to lead a top-notch community newspaper in a growing market. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the coming year.
May you and yours have a happy, prosperous and safe new year, and may we all remember to be more considerate to one another.

Chris Wessel, editor of Hernando Today, can be reached at 352-544-5295 or by e-mail at wwessel@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT