Wide Versus Deep

(Hey, I didn't say I was a good photographer!)

There is a LOT of attention paid to what happens in Congress--or even the special group of people in Texas we call legislators. Law becomes rule. Rule becomes policy. Insert the word, code, in either place if it applies where you live or the subject with your greatest attention.
 
Thursday, I attended a meeting at my local city hall. It wasn't a city council meeting. It wasn't even a committee meeting. Rather, it was the precursor to tonight's Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. People came to give input regarding the future of our lake. The city is growing, and the lake is getting more popular. The company hired to assist with lake development threw out some options like wake boarding, interpretive signage, and an amphitheater. The commissioners seemed to want another beach on the lake. There was concern about future developments and building around the lake, and even some thoughts on all of this unused space in the middle (a.k.a., water).

Of course, this is the committee designed to focus on the "fun" aspects of the lake. The key reason for the lake is not really the recreational aspect. The lake provides water to the city. It's a balance, and the City Commission needs to consider all of the weights in that balance. 
 
Most of the big decisions in your life get made close to home. There are options to have your voice heard during the process of these decisions, even if you don't sit on a committee or council. You get a lot of power handed to you by those who aren't paying attention or aren't going to bother with these things.

Life is run by people who show up, and it's not just about rallies for major issues at the state capitol or some alabaster building in Washington. It's more about making things happen in your city, your local school board, your church, or your school's Site-Based Decision-Making committee.

You have more power than you realize. Take it, reader. Take it.