God Given Daisies — by Carole Devecka
What is a reputation worth?
When we were growing up we all
knew that it was important to have a good reputation. Most teenagers and young
adults really don’t consider it important except to their families. Little did I know that a reputation from years
gone by would some how influence what I am doing today.
When I started writing God
Given Daisies in October of 2002 I wrote about my days at the YMCA located in
the ghetto area of the county and how I started out with street kids ( a mini-gang) and turned them into entertainers and models
… real role models of the community and how some of the Board members were politicians
moving up the ranks.
How does that relate to what I
am doing now? Well as I have said many times before “You never know who is watching or paying attention to what you are doing.”
At the time I did know who was watching and that Board member became President
of the Board, then committeeman of that township, then mayor, then a senator!
We went our separate ways, but through the years I continued to read about the work he was doing as a Senator representing his district. Include in his district are towns near where I live and where I hope to open The Museum Honoring All Heroes. This project will include Heroes of the military, Coast Guards, National Guards, Red Cross workers, police, firemen, and other rescue workers.
In order to seek federal,
state, county and municipal funding you need the cooperation of the county officials,
state senators, congressmen, assemblymen, big financial institutions, top
businesses and the community in general.
While still waiting for the sub-division of the mansion property where
we would like The Museum Honoring All Heroes to be located, I began seeking out
the support of top officials and made an appointment with a senator.
When I walked into his office,
he stood up gave me a big hug and kissed me on my cheek and said, “It’s been
too, too, long … what have you been up to?”
I told him about The Museum Honoring
All Heroes Project and he said “You always had the reputation of doing the
impossible and taking on sometimes impossible and improbable projects for a
good cause and I see you haven’t changed a bit!”
I said “Just wider, whiter, and
hopefully wiser.” He laughed and said
“But aren’t we all!” and then he asked “How can I help?”
My answer was, “With your reputation all you
have to say is that you support this worthwhile project ‘Honoring All Those
That Serve and Protect our Nation, our Communities, and our Shores.’”
I guess a reputation does
follow you.
— ©
E-mail Carole
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