We,too,are part of this world

While we live through our problems here in Fall River, and they are great, we must always remember that the world carries on with us or without us. The world outside of our cozy neighborhood , whether it's a father in Afghanistan worried about his wounded child, a bus being used to celebrate a national soccer victory somewhere in Central America, or a police officer tracking down a criminal in the slums of South Africa, is something we must embrace, with all its pain, joy, beauty, cruelty and the inspiration it holds within. We must do this because we are part of this world, and Fall River is not unique in all things. Sometimes we like to think we are. We should not.

That photo in the top left hand corner could be in Bristol County, or the Berkshires, maybe the White Mountains. It is actually a scene of autumn in Japan. Let us learn from other places and other ways of thinking. Let's not always be a slave to old ways of solving problems or looking at ourselves. It's a trap that holds us back, which reduces us to marching in place when we should be running with the rest of the world. When we master this, when we have the courage to change, we will rise above the mess we are in.

All you need to do to know it's true is to see the way out fearless leaders for the last 50 years in Fall River have lead us. It's time to heal the inside by looking more outside of the ways that make us feel comfortable. It does not mean we have to surrender our unique character or the good things that makes us special. Places outside of Fall River are more like us than you let yourself think. Yet, at the same time, they are different because of the way they look at themselves and the world around them. We need to have more faith in ourselves, yet have new courage to try solutions those outside of Fall River have used successfully. It surely couldn't hurt, and it will probably help a great deal. Growth as a community is always painful, but it always leads to more of everything we want and need.