“I Spy with my little eye…”

Do you remember that little game you may have played with your children or grandchildren? A game, probably originating to keep children from hurting one another while the adults waited on someone or some event. A game where one would look at a landscape and spy an object and the group would attempt to guess what you had spied by asking questions. Remember?

Yes, I thought you would.

I was reminded of that game recently when I attended a Newberry County event titled Cultivating Community.

I guess that I should explain just what Cultivating Community is all about, and then I will explain the connection to the game I Spy.

Your chamber is involved in many areas: workforce development, community improvement, political response to/from elected officials, etc. Our involvement in the Community Action for a Safer Tomorrow (CAST) coalition through Westview Behavioral Health Services caused us to realize the severity of our county’s underage alcohol abuse problem. Through the efforts of Mr. Tom Perry, CAST coordinator at Westview, the coalition utilized the facilitation services of Mr. Charles Weathers of the Weathers Group in an effort to address how the community could come together to not only address underage drinking but all community concerns and how to work together for the good of the entire county.

Mr. Weathers leads a series of group meetings and asks questions that cause us to examine who we are as a community. So far, we have completed two of these meetings and in each meeting, I have thought of the “I Spy” game, for in looking for an item, you can only locate it by asking questions.

Once the item is located, it is so evident that you cannot believe you did not see it sooner.

That is exactly how it is with the Cultivating Community forums. In these meetings we are determining how we would like to see our county in the year 2025.

So, let me ask you, “What would you like Newberry County to look like in 2025?”

Are you willing to get involved and invest your time to ensure you have a voice in shaping the future of Newberry County? We have three additional meetings in this process and if you are not in the audience to participate, you are cheating yourself.

We will advertise these meetings via WKDK radio, Whitmire News and the Newberry Observer.

Make plans to attend and you too can see the I Spy in action.

You may be surprised as you examine your feelings. Our future can be determined by you.

Cultivating Community meetings are thought-provoking and inspiring. You can help by getting involved.