From another era there was a newsman named Paul Harvey, who often talked of sharing the news of the day from outside the tall buildings and news empire housed in New York. He kept his daily news and commentary headquarters in Chicago during the entire time of his award winning career. As Paul Harvey was in demand as a speaker across the country, he often talked of seeing the news from the perspective of Middle America rather than from behind the ivory palaces of Wall Street, Madison Avenue, and Broadway. He felt he could see the events of time with a better view as he kept in mind the heartbeat of the nation from the working man’s point-of-view. His message resonated with the people of America.
I am privileged to be invited to speak to various size groups of people beyond the perimeter in our state. As I travel across the state of Georgia, I am reminded of the vastness of our land mass and the beauty of the surroundings in our cities and towns that make up this state we call home. I am always impressed by the citizens of our state in the small cities and towns. Many of them have no desire to copy Atlanta. Many of the people, with whom I speak, swell with pride when they admit they do everything possible not to be like the Capitol city. The cities, towns, and the unincorporated areas each have uniqueness about them.
Last week, it was necessary to travel to two different parts of the state. Monday, I was in North West Georgia for a speaking engagement to a group of people who have concerns about what is happening in our country. They see the issues we face from a different vantage point than most of the concerns that are raised in what we call the Metro areas of our state. Traffic is not an issue. Out-of-control crime has not made its way to where they live. Family values mean much to them. They express concerns related to personal decisions, like being left to choose their own health care providers. They are anxious to know that they will be allowed to continue to have a voice in the type of education their children receive. They are proud to be patriotic and want to be able to express their religious faith without someone in the government mandating to them how it is expressed. I always learn so much from the people who see the issues from a small town point of view. Friday and Saturday, I met with some people in a different part of the state in West Central Georgia. These people come from different parts of the country, and openly voice their concerns about the growth of our state and the need for jobs. Those people like the ones I had spoken to on Monday, basically want to be assured of self determination and freedom to select where they live, where they work, and even where they spend their leisure time. As is always the case, I learn much when I travel our state. These people are informed about the events of the day. They are not waiting on someone outside of their area to tell them what to believe or how they are to live their lives. Being aware of what is going on around them in their world, they enjoy living where they are and they live fulfilled lives.
There are people who take breaks from their regular rat race to get away to a place of leisure or planned entertainment in order to continue to cope with the stress they face daily. It is good to be able to get away for a time, but then there is the return to reality. These speaking engagements allow me the chance to get away from the regular routine and speak with people who I like to call the salt of the earth. These people are not filled with the stress of having to navigate around gridlock traffic or worry that their home is being ransacked while they are attending a high school football game. They have an ease about them that shows on their face and is expressed in their daily activities. I have also noticed that the folks in small town America believe sooner or later everything is going to be all right again. My current speaking tour is allowing me to find hope in small town Georgia.
Ray Newman: Copyright: October 2011
I am privileged to be invited to speak to various size groups of people beyond the perimeter in our state. As I travel across the state of Georgia, I am reminded of the vastness of our land mass and the beauty of the surroundings in our cities and towns that make up this state we call home. I am always impressed by the citizens of our state in the small cities and towns. Many of them have no desire to copy Atlanta. Many of the people, with whom I speak, swell with pride when they admit they do everything possible not to be like the Capitol city. The cities, towns, and the unincorporated areas each have uniqueness about them.
Last week, it was necessary to travel to two different parts of the state. Monday, I was in North West Georgia for a speaking engagement to a group of people who have concerns about what is happening in our country. They see the issues we face from a different vantage point than most of the concerns that are raised in what we call the Metro areas of our state. Traffic is not an issue. Out-of-control crime has not made its way to where they live. Family values mean much to them. They express concerns related to personal decisions, like being left to choose their own health care providers. They are anxious to know that they will be allowed to continue to have a voice in the type of education their children receive. They are proud to be patriotic and want to be able to express their religious faith without someone in the government mandating to them how it is expressed. I always learn so much from the people who see the issues from a small town point of view. Friday and Saturday, I met with some people in a different part of the state in West Central Georgia. These people come from different parts of the country, and openly voice their concerns about the growth of our state and the need for jobs. Those people like the ones I had spoken to on Monday, basically want to be assured of self determination and freedom to select where they live, where they work, and even where they spend their leisure time. As is always the case, I learn much when I travel our state. These people are informed about the events of the day. They are not waiting on someone outside of their area to tell them what to believe or how they are to live their lives. Being aware of what is going on around them in their world, they enjoy living where they are and they live fulfilled lives.
There are people who take breaks from their regular rat race to get away to a place of leisure or planned entertainment in order to continue to cope with the stress they face daily. It is good to be able to get away for a time, but then there is the return to reality. These speaking engagements allow me the chance to get away from the regular routine and speak with people who I like to call the salt of the earth. These people are not filled with the stress of having to navigate around gridlock traffic or worry that their home is being ransacked while they are attending a high school football game. They have an ease about them that shows on their face and is expressed in their daily activities. I have also noticed that the folks in small town America believe sooner or later everything is going to be all right again. My current speaking tour is allowing me to find hope in small town Georgia.
Ray Newman: Copyright: October 2011
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