Crossing the dirt road to make change.

“We become neighbors when we are willing to cross the road for one another. (...) There is a lot of road crossing to do. We are all very busy in our own circles. We have our own people to go to and our own affairs to take care of. But if we could cross the road once in a while and pay attention to what is happening on the other side, we might indeed become neighbors.”― Henri J.M. Nouwen Neighbors helping Neighbors is a sentiment that is something that has been in society's fabric since Missouri was admitted into the Union 1821. The idea itself is one of the most important bedrocks in our philosophy in the Ozarks. Now, if you don't know much about the region we come from Appalachian setters that migrated to the area back in the 1850s. With people that had little and ironically that hasn't changed much in the 172 years either. That's why relying on our neighbors when a disaster happens is vital to this area. And it still is around, but not as much as it used to be. As folks became consumed with politics and their religious rhetoric. That rhetoric has left a deep rift has torn families and friends torn into pieces. But thankfully, that is slowly starting to repair itself, because folks are starting to realize that "we are all we got" when it comes to politics. What people fail to understand about the view on politics in this area is people are disillusioned by both parties. Democrats abandoned us back in 2016 and now folks are starting to realize the monster that they embrace in 2020 is starting to do the same. Putting us right back into the "No man's land" stance (it's kind of our thing) folks now need people to talk to them and reach out to them. They need something that they can see as being a "public servant", and a message that says "Hey how can I help you?" For example, in my area we're plagued with poverty, lack of health care, roads falling apart, and the list goes on. That kind of message and action goes a long way with folks in places like the Ozarks and really all over the state. I mean folks live up to the state motto of "Show Me State" down here and have to be able to the action behind the words themselves. With all this said, do I think we can start making some real changes in both our state and national politics? Yes, I feel we can. But it's going to take lots of work, and folks willing to cross the dirt road for one another. We are going to have to start stepping up and stepping out of the lines of partisanship and start seeing people as people, and not what political party they belong to. We have to start communicating and reaching out to people that others that might not feel like they're seen or heard. You and I have to start calling out problems when we see them and start lending a hand when we see something that might affect our neighbors and make them aware of it. This is how we make the changes we so desperately need and make Missouri a great place to call home again. Much Love and Peace out Jojo