Dripping' Life, Mar 14
In a community like Dripping Springs, growth, progress, special events, new buildings and new ideas can’t happen without hours of work by elected officials, business leaders, volunteer boards and their leaders, committees, non-profit organizations, educators and educational leaders, clergy or legions of dedicated volunteers.
On a smaller scale, navigating the process of getting a license for a new driver in Hays County, registering to vote, attending a sports event at the high school or one of the middle schools, finding a book at the Dripping Springs Community Library or voting in an election all require dedicated leaders, employees and, often, volunteers.
All of these individuals and their efforts make this city such a great place to live…to enjoy. With everyone working together – as a team – Dripping Springs embodies all the attributes needed for greatness.
But how often do we take what we have in Drippin’ for granted?
In my almost three years as a resident, I’ve witnessed some awesome successes in this community, not to mention the ongoing growth. And yes, “we still have a ways to go,” as my ole granddaddy used to say. But we’re moving right along, and we seem to be on the right path.
So how do we maintain the momentum?
First and foremost, we stand together as a community model for our young people. They must see their moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles taking their turn at giving back to the community. Just a week ago, Amplify Austin reminded residents, “We live here, we give here.”
I like that motto, but I would add, “We give BACK here.”
We participate in fundraisers to assure the missions of our non-profits, our churches, our schools, community services and civic organizations can continue. We volunteer when we can to contribute to the success of garage sales, car washes, cookie and candy sales. We sign up to serve as voting location volunteers, we offer to judge UIL, 4-H and other competition.
We give of ourselves to serve as child advocates, foster parents, as maintainers of our roadways, historic sites, state parks and churches. We feed the hungry, clothe the homeless and go on mission trips to improve the quality of life for others – sometimes in other countries, sometimes in nearby cities ravaged by the forces of nature.
But in the midst of “doing” to make Dripping an even greater place than it already is, we also need to take each and every opportunity to appreciate those who give so much to make life in Dripping what it is. These are the opportunities we sometimes miss.
Do we thank the caregivers at our church nursery for keeping our little one safe and happy so we can attend worship? Do we express our appreciation to our server at the end of the meal, not just with a tip but with a sincere thank-you for what they did to make it an enjoyable lunch or dinner?
Do we remember, even if the receptionist at the doctor’s office is doing his or her job, to thank her for her professionalism, her welcoming smile or her efficient handling of our insurance. Everyone can use an “attagirl” or “attaboy” for making an errand, appointment or chore a little easier.
Let me be the first to put my hand up for not always taking an opportunity to appreciate what others do for me to make my day a little easier. I have missed more of these opportunities than I can count, but I’m trying to be a bit more mindful of how sometimes complete strangers go the “extra mile” for me and for this community.
You may remember the JFK story about when he visited NASA and saw a janitor mopping up the floor. JFK asked him what his job was at NASA and the gentleman said, “I’m helping send a man to the moon.”
Back here in Dripping Springs, we can remember: We’ll try not to miss an opportunity to appreciate others working to make this community and our lives better…and when we volunteer (you do volunteer, don’t you?) the work we do isn’t about mopping the floor or collecting items for a garage sale or selling gala tickets. We’re building better tomorrows for every resident in Dripping Springs!