We're Stronger Together

Caswell's Opioid Settlement Committee selected a theme for their April 7 event that could very well be the overarching theme for the entire county this year, if we allow it.

Hope and Healing - We're Stronger Together

My Daddy once told me the good thing about life is that it's predictable. You can always count on it to change. If things are going well, brace yourself because they're sure to get rocky soon. If everything is hard and nothing is going your way, dig deep and hold on. Things will eventually get better, if you can just survive long enough.

Luckily, the people of Caswell County don't give up easily. Folks here know how to survive. We have a lot of practice.

That focus on survival is necessary, but it can also be problematic. If it's taking everything you have to simply survive today, that doesn't leave much for tomorrow.

The other big problem with living in survival mode is that it takes a very real toll on our physical health and changes how we perceive and react to the world around us.

People might spend years, entire lifetimes, in a constant state of flight, fight, or freeze. Families and communities can spend generations in that same survival mode.

It takes a toll.

Caswell County had seemed to lose all hope there for a while. Conversations focused only on what we did not have and what we could not do. I often described the vibe during that time as an "Eeyore mentality."

Woe is me, this is how it's always been, this is how it will always be. Not much sense in trying. Not much sense in getting my hopes up. Nothing will ever be any better than it is right now. - Eeyore mentality

And yet, even then, people survived the naysayers. They kept attending meetings. They kept volunteering in the community. They created the 21st Century Development Plan, an Economic Development Plan, collaboratives, and community councils.

They ensured the existence of food pantries, arts programs, community festivals, summer camps, and farmers' markets.

They reminded the people of Caswell County that we matter and that yes, we deserve nice things. We deserve efficient local government and a strong education system. We deserve quality healthcare and emergency response, youth sports programs, and vibrant community spaces like parks and libraries. We deserve well-maintained buildings, living wages, and basic infrastructure.

And we've proven, time and time again that we're willing to work for it.

If the people of Caswell County want anything, they're going to have to do what they've done for generations and dig it out of the dirt themselves. - local leader

In 2012, I was infuriated when a prominent local leader told me that, "if the people of Caswell County want anything, they're going to have to do what they've done for generations and dig it out of the dirt themselves."

Twenty-four years later, it's much easier for me to understand why he said that. No one is coming to save Caswell. It's up to us to save ourselves.

And our community is rising to that challenge.

Everywhere I look I see county residents, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and local government staff working together. They're no longer focused on everything we lack, or the things that remain just out of reach. Conversations are no longer always centered around who's to blame or who has the responsibility to fix it.

Instead, the focus is on the people of Caswell County and the work that can be done collectively to improve program and service efficiency, quality, access, and opportunity.

That work most often happens one step at a time - a conversation with someone else about possibilities, an assessment of the resources available, identifying aligned purposes, visions, and values.

It usually looks like saying yes - saying yes to a conversation, a learning opportunity, a leadership position, or a request for assistance. Sometimes it looks like saying no - recognizing when you are not the one best suited for the work or when you will not be able to follow through on commitments.

None of that work is being done by a single individual or organization. It is truly a collective effort to cultivate greatness right here in Caswell.

A growing number of residents, community partners, and other local leaders seem to recognize that yes, we are in fact much stronger together.

As more and more people show up to put in the work, or "dig it out of the dirt," hope grows. And, as we stop throwing the rocks we find at one another, healing begins.