The COVID-19 levels for Missouri counties Taney and Greene have plummeted, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
This is welcome news for health care providers. Local mental health professional Thuy Rudy, owner of Alliance Counseling Associates, has practiced counseling for 20 years. She described what she observed during the pandemic when those rates were higher.
“It was awful. It was just plain awful because everybody was freaked out, and nobody knew exactly what COVID was. Everyone was dying right and left, and so, people were afraid, just generally afraid,” Rudy said. She explained that this fear of catching COVID-19 led to a fear of being around people.
I’ve never responded to one of these WordPress prompts, so I decided to reply to one of them today. Lately, I have found myself enthralled by the passage of time. Admittedly, this is not the first time I have contemplated such thoughts.
Everything seems to change. It’s not necessarily good or bad, and it’s quite healthy to experience change. It’s a part of life.
With that said, I think there’s something in humanity that longs to maintain the good experiences of one season, digging their heels into the metaphorical ground as they approach the next. Without question, past experiences are massive sources of good memories.
However, in many ways and for many people, the past is a place of hurt. It’s easy to romanticize the past, overemphasizing the good in favor of better times than the present. Then there’s the other side of it.
The future can be a shiny object, an object of obsession. The future certainly holds good possibilities. At the same time, it’s easy to not feel content when that future arrives.
Perhaps it won’t meet the high expectations that preceded it; the future can hold pains as merciless as past pains. What truly bothers me is that as a human it is incredibly easy to romanticize the past or focus far too much on the future.
It’s less natural to remain present in the moment. We can’t go back to the past nor ultimately control the future.
What we can do is cherish the good memories of our past while learning from the pain; even though we can’t control the future, we can look to it and prepare without fixing our thoughts on it.
The key is to not miss out on the present because it’s only the present for a moment.
Hello! I know I haven’t published new content or communicated recently. Moving forward, that’s going to change. Lately, I’ve been pursuing personal and professional goals.
Starting this week, I will publish on my website at least once a week but with a goal to post twice weekly. The format is changing, and new content is coming up. I look forward to communicating with you!
Branson government employee Stephen Gilbert was awarded the Employee of the Month Award on Tuesday evening at City Hall during the Board of Aldermen meeting.
Alderman Chuck Rodriguez presented Gilbert with the award. “On behalf of the Mayor, Board of Aldermen, City Administrator, and City staff, it is my honor to announce Information Technology GIS Analyst, Stephen Gilbert as the City of Branson’s August 2022, “Service and Excellence” Employee of the Month,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Gilbert was nominated “for his attention to detail and customer service-oriented thinking” as he made applications and maps for “internal and community use.” “Over the past few months, he has helped create at least five new products for the benefit of our community,” the alderman said. He also highlighted Gilbert’s job performance.
Branson Mayor Larry Milton honored Branson Assistant Police Chief Eric Schmitt during Tuesday night’s Board of Aldermen meeting for his recent accomplishment.
“Assistant Chief Eric Schmitt graduated from the FBI National Academy on June 9, 2022 as a member of the 282 session,” Milton said. The mayor said the national academy included 254 people from 47 states and the District of Columbia. Individuals from law enforcement agencies from 26 countries, four military organizations, and nine federal civilian organizations also participated.
Branson’s Public Works/Engineering Project Manager received the Employee of the Month award on Tuesday.
Alderman Marshall Howden presented the award to Roger Clark during Tuesday night’s Board of Aldermen meeting. “Roger was nominated for his work on the Utility Undergrounding on W. 76 Country Blvd. He was instrumental in keeping the project on track and under budget,” Howden said. The alderman also said that Clark went “above and beyond” in keeping all the involved companies informed of the project’s progress and status.
Branson Police Chief Jeff Matthews spoke Thursday about what can and can’t be done about homelessness and panhandling.
He said over the years the courts have looked at solicitation from the viewpoint of Freedom of Speech. “You got to remember that the Constitution was not written for people like me in the Police Department. The Constitution was written for the people to protect them from people like me,” Matthews said. He said that taking into account the way courts have interpreted panhandling with a sign, the sign represents Freedom of Speech.
“I cannot regulate that sign. That sign can say whatever it wants on the public place, and I can’t do anything about it because that’s part of the Freedom of Speech through the Constitution,” he said. However, he also highlighted what law enforcement can do.
Unfortunately, I needed to pause the release of part three of my current fictional web series. What was scheduled for release this past Friday will be released this coming Friday.
As you know, part three of my current fiction series wasn’t published yesterday. It will be published this coming Friday, June 24. In addition, my future fiction writing will be published every Friday unless there’s an unforeseen circumstance.
Two Branson Utilities Department employees received the Employee of the Month award on Tuesday.
Branson Alderman Ruth Denham presented the award to Utilities Wastewater Treatment Equipment/Plant Operators Kent Edwards and Greg Robertson during the Branson Board of Aldermen meeting. “Kent and Greg are receiving this award due to their exceptional teamwork and cooperation,” Denham said. She also pointed out ways they recently helped with special projects.
JonChristopher Collins 