Today's Diary Entry

I’ve gotta be honest – I get tired of the fight. I expect you get tired of hearing about it, too. This latest squabble with Ms. Hunt is yet another drain of energy that would be better spent on something positive, for both of us. I’ve only listed it here publicly because I think it’s important that we know the temperament of those in leadership.

I'm also tired of being threatened and bullied. On this issue, I plan to wait the required 10 days to hear officially that Jane will not supply these emails. She’s already informed me that she has deleted them (to save room on her hard drive). Then I plan on posting all of them again for the record, unless something comes to light to change my mind from my inquires to some of the oversight agencies.

In the meantime, I want to talk about more important things in Ruston. As Hannah Montana sings, “we’ve got the best of both worlds” (sorry, I have a 6 year old girl at home, we sing this a lot). Ruston has the big city convenience of a mall 10 minutes away, with the safety of our own police department that patrols our 5-square block town. We may squabble like a family feud gone bad, but it's worth it to have the stronger connections and deeper sense of identity.

We share an important history. Ruston has served as a microcosm of America’s shift away from a frontier-style town dependent on natural resources. We’re transitioning from a rough, blue-collar town to an upscale enclave of some of the area’s wealthiest homes. It’s not surprising we struggle at times.

We have a great group of businesses here that care deeply about much more than their own bottom line. They open their shop doors day after day, welcoming strangers to our streets, enticing tourists to exit their cars and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us. They’ve stuck with us year after lean year to help build this community.

All in all, there is a much more that is good and right about Ruston than is wrong. Despite the challenges that get highlighted on this blog, I hope we always remember the precious treasure we have in this town – each other, our shared history and our bright future. ~ Karen