What Do We Expect?

Hello friends! I hope everyone is doing well. Winter has certainly shown its face, and for the next three months we really don’t have much choice but to deal with the cold, wet, and often unpleasant weather. Personally, I try to embrace it. I’m not a fan of the early darkness, but beyond that, winter isn’t too bad—mostly because I expect it to be exactly what it is.

That word—expect—has been on my mind a lot lately.

People ask me questions all the time about our town or the things going on around us. Sometimes I know the answer. Sometimes I don’t. And sometimes I find myself just listening to folks complain about situations they don’t fully understand. When that happens, I always come back to the same question:

What do you expect?
What are your expectations for our town?

Usually that’s followed by a confused look and a “What do you mean?”

I mean this: If you were in charge, what would you do?
Would you approach things as an outsider, like I once did?
Would you fall into a clique?
Would you become politically motivated?
Would you try something new, or would you cling to the way “Papaw used to do it”?

These aren’t trick questions—they’re honest ones.

If all you’re doing is complaining, you’re part of the problem. There are countless ways to get involved, as long as you’re not hindering progress. If you bring innovative ideas, we could use you. But if you’re only interested in returning things to the past, chances are it’s not going to work. Times change. Communities must change with them.

Can you support something even if you don’t completely understand it yet?
Are you willing to learn how things function and why decisions must be made the way they are?
Do you know whether there’s a yearly strategic plan?

We can argue until we’re blue in the face—and we likely will from time to time—but disagreements don’t mean we stop expecting better. Expectations matter. They shape our goals, our growth, and how we treat others.

If you have no expectations, you have no finish line.
And if you’re not running toward a finish line, why be in the race at all?

Expectations must be realistic, but nothing says we can’t dream big while we’re at it.

Much love, Manchester!