Know Your Locale

We all believe we understand the area in which we live. Some of us have lived there all of our lives, and some might have lived there just a few years. Often, it does not matter how long we have lived in a place, what matters is how often we get out and engage our local community and surroundings. Failure to do so might leave us surprised by how the landscape has changed, and so have the people.

It’s no mystery how this happens, times change, new stores, malls, and other industries move in, and changes are made to what people do and how they do it.  If we are not an active part of that community, we will not know about the changes. We may see something on the news or read something in the paper, however, we will not know the actual extent and how it affects us.

I can attest to this first hand. I recently took a Nielsen survey where it asked me about several places in my town, and the last time I was there. The more I got into the questionnaire, the more I realized how sedentary I had become, and how little I had been out within my community over the Last year (or several.)   

If we close ourselves off and do not participate in our community, we genuinely have a loss of many valuable resources. Through participation in our local community and civic affairs, we actually have a better quality of life and a better understanding of the changes and how they may best work in our favor. Without this interaction, we know less about others, and they know less about us.

When you are an active part of your community, you know who you can count on and how you’re needs could be best met. Even more important people know that you are there. A formal or informal structure seems to happen where people check on each other and make sure they’re OK. The community is stronger because of these links. And life is more comfortable and more enjoyable for more of the city.

After all, if we’re going to live life, we might as well work as a team with those who are doing the same and work to mutually enjoy it.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof