Ryan’s Remarks

By Dr. Ryan T. Sauers

I hope everyone is off to a great February and the second month of 2023. Our community continues to grow. Why? We are blessed with amazing people who choose to live, work, and play right here in Our Town. We should be proud of our community. Most communities are not as close as the ones we have. With that said, our attention span is short (or some might argue non-existent), so here are three points I want us to think about.

1. People love to smile and laugh. How many times have you heard a funny story that made your day? How often have you seen something so silly that it makes you laugh? You know – when you just keep laughing and can’t stop? How much fun do we have with long-term or deep friends whom we can truly be ourselves with? A lot of fun. And what do we do? We laugh. So, make someone’s day and make them smile and laugh.

2. People love to have fun. Why do you see so many people playing fantasy football, going to theme parties, and/or playing mindless games on their mobile devices? Many use these things as breaks from their everyday routine and to relieve stress from our constantly connected and noisy world. They are fun, simple, and mindless. Have you ever seen adults dress up in full gear for football games or a Halloween outfit? People really get into it. Why? We all love to have fun. This “feeling like a kid again” is the magic that most experience when they visit Disneyworld. And, it is what Disney is selling. We are supposed to act like kids and smile there, so we do. And in case you missed the memo, it is okay to have fun each day of your life. It is contagious.

3. People love technology yet miss the personal touch. How many of us just want someone to handle our requests promptly, get things right the first time, and save us time/stress when dealing with a problem that we’ve had with a good, service, etc.? I know I do. But instead, we hear, “For faster service, visit us online.” Note: This is CODE for “Don’t call us. We are busy, and if you go online, we don’t have to talk to you or staff as many people.” Thus, be sure technology works for us and that we do not work for it. The personal touch in relationships built on trust matters now more than ever. Small businesses usually get this right, so

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