Get To Know Your Town Better

Ah, New Year’s Day, a time of resolutions. Women and men make resolutions today as a way to improve their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

How about a community list of resolutions to improve the health of the Inland Northwest? Here are some suggested resolutions to make this place we all call home a better home in 1998.

Volunteer for one hour somewhere, sometime during 1998. Many people already do hours and hours of community service, so this resolution is for those who haven’t considered it yet.

One hour. That’s all. Pick the cause of your choice. Do a walk or a fun run to fight cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s. Hammer on a Habitat for Humanity house. Help a child learn to read.

Engage in civic life, no matter how cynical you’ve become. Attend a council or commission meeting. Write a letter to the editor (we publish about 70 percent of those received). Register to vote or accompany an 18-year-old to the registrar’s office. Actively support a campaign or issue you truly believe in. Spend time in a community policing program.

Be a courteous driver. Let that other driver into your lane. Stop for yellow lights. Slow down in school zones. Don’t become a road rage cliche.

Support the arts. Attend a Spokane Symphony concert or a play by the many talented thespians who live and work in the Inland Northwest. Go to an art show at a museum or a gallery. See a ballet.

Attend an event sponsored by communities of color. The African American Forum sponsors lunches and dinners each year; the Hispanic Graduate Awards Banquet is one event you’ll not forget. Same goes for the Ebony Fashion Show sponsored by the education group, Spokane Chapter of The Links. Those are just a sampling; many more events happen during the year in the Asian, Native American and Russian communities. Ask around.

If you don’t have regular contact with younger people, make it a priority. Teens feel stereotyped in our culture by adults who mistrust them and think they are up to no good. You’d be surprised at the great stuff teens are doing these days; plus, they might set the clock on your VCR for you!

Finally, don’t be shy about using these phrases in 1998: “I’m sorry. I was wrong. You talk, I’ll listen. Thank you. You are welcome.”

Happy New Year!

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Rebecca Nappi/For the editorial board