[Vision2020] Town Crier: There are many roses within the storm

[Dan Carscallen]

Thank you, Wayne Olson
--------------------------------
 
There are many roses within the storm 

By Wayne Olson

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 

There are times when words can not come close to expressing our grief,
or feelings for others within our community. The events the past weekend
in Moscow is one of those times. Our hearts, our thoughts and our
prayers go out to those wounded, for those whose lives were lost, and to
family, friends and those who worked alongside these folks over the
years.

Officer Lee Newbill was my officer of contact on a small case within the
last few weeks. I remember Officer Newbill as very professional,
straightforward, yet personal and caring in his approach. His warmth,
his way, his lead will be missed by all.

When you are in the middle of a situation like this last weekend, your
heart cries out for something solid to hold on to for guidance, for
strength and peace. In my eyes, only the good Lord's grace and peace
will do.

Moscow is a strong community. A community of folks who come together
with their own, and with time will heal from the events. These events
are a shock to this community, because they are not commonplace in
Moscow. Over the last four days, from many officials are talking to the
media, and from many people I work with, I've heard that fact time and
again. In my heart I know we live in a special place.

To lend perspective to this fact, I need to give you a little insight
into my world. Throughout the year, we have people who visit our USDA
Unit from other "big city" areas. I love to take these folks around our
communities and countryside, and show them our "world." When I visit
about our summer events, the question usually comes up, "So where is
your part of town that you don't walk, especially at night?" This
question came up last summer as we were watching a young couple pushing
a baby carriage on an evening walk in the Fort Russell district in the
dusk of the day, toward music coming from East City Park. With a smile,
I have to admit we have no place in the Moscow-Pullman area that you
can't walk, especially at night. 

I think perspective is important here. Yes, we need to pay attention to
what is going on in the world; but it is our choice whether we want that
information to dominate our world. It's really our choice to color or
impact our world with the day's news, or to move beyond the day's
events.

When was the last time you slowed your pace and counted your blessings
to live here in the Moscow-Pullman area, at this date and age? For me,
being both a cancer survivor and a stroke survivor at an age barely over
50, each day is a blessing. As I walk down the streets of Moscow or work
in the fields at the USDA Farm or on our family farm, I find it humbling
and beautiful to just sit down for a few minutes and enjoy the beauty of
the day. We get pummeled with the bad news of the world, daily and
hourly, through all of the media; and through the speed and the worries
of our day.

Have you ever taken the time to stop and think about this place we live,
and counted your blessings? Talk to most anyone who has experienced my
path, and you will find that for us the tree leaves are greener, the
skies are bluer, sunsets more vivid and relationships more precious than
before these trials. Stop for a few minutes, set aside the troubles of
this world, and enjoy this day, this place and this time. I well
understand our time here is finite, and everything here today could be
gone tomorrow in a heartbeat.

Remember that there can be two meanings to the word present, the here
and now; and the gift of this day, of family, of friends, and this
community in which we reside. This present, this gift, is our rose
within the storm.

I can see you smiling.

Wayne Olson is a fourth generation of rural Moscow resident. Town Crier
II is a weekly series of columns contributed by 13 local writers. The
Town Crier columns run on Wednesday.

________________________________

your pal

DC

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