Message FROM THE Mayor
I’m an Eagle Scout and the father of an Eagle Scout. Of the many merit badges I’ve earned personally or taught as an adult leader during my time in Scouting, the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge remains my favorite. It may come as a surprise that of the seven priorities for survival the number one thing is not anything tangible. It’s not toilet paper or hand sanitizer. It’s also not food, water, or shelter. The most important thing required for survival is a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). PMA is FIRST in the seven priorities for survival. That speaks volumes in a world obsessed with material things and tangible objects.
As we face this new intangible and invisible enemy that is COVID-19, it’s important that we maintain a positive mental attitude to get through this unprecedented moment in our history. Do not lose faith in our own self-reliance and in that inherent resourcefulness that we have always had. It is ingrained in the American way of life. We are not of weak stock. Our ancestors were survivors, frontier people, who tamed the west and settled in Texas. We are resilient people who have braved world wars, survived the dust bowl and Great Depression, and we will survive this.
The truth is, we don’t have it bad at all. We are insulated from much of the chaos of the world. Even in the midst of this recent crisis we have modern amenities we take for granted daily. When you flip the light switch, the lights come on. Our homes are still heated and air conditioned, sometimes on the same day! When you turn on your water faucet, clean water comes out. The cell phones we carry in our pockets have 100,000 times more processing power and memory than the Apollo 11 space shuttle that put Neil Armstrong on the moon! We literally have a world of information at our fingertips.
It’s natural to feel anxiety and stress during times like these. We are creatures of habit and we are all dealing with changes in our daily routines and weekly schedule. This is unsettling for all of us and can result in anger, depression, fear, and all kinds of other feelings. It’s so normal to feel this way that psychologists have categorized this condition as “adjustment disorder” and note that it is indeed temporary. Going to the store and finding they are out of some of the items you need can be frustrating, but let’s not forget to be grateful for the store and its workers. Let’s be grateful we were able to drive to the store in our automobile. We have minor inconveniences but as the old saying goes, “don’t sweat the small stuff.”
This virus is serious and it’s having a significant impact on the whole world. We aren’t in this alone. Please follow the State and Local authority guidelines as we attempt to flatten the curve so as not to overwhelm our already taxed healthcare system. If you feel sick, stay at home. If your children are sick, keep them at home. If someone in your household has tested positive, keep the entire household at home. Work or study from home and avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people. As we all adjust to this new temporary way of life, don’t allow fear to rob optimism for the future. Atlanta, Texas, is still a great place to live and raise a family, a great place to locate and grow a business, and a great place to visit and relax.