Letter to the editor: Ease is in following the dark of night to light of the sun

There is so much for me to write about, especially in this unsettled moment in time. One of the only areas of ease, for me, is in following the darkness of night to the light of the sun. Yet, even the rising of the sun is increasingly questionable - not the sun in and of itself, but in the strength of its rays on our miraculous planet. But for now, its rays bring comfort in its daily recurrence.

The other day I met two professional historic preservationists and learned that they were hired by Sumter's city and county government to document structures built before 1985 in areas of Sumter that had not afforded such attention. They worked for the WLA Studio agency and supported by a Federal Historic Preservation Grant that had been awarded by SC State Department of Archives and History. In addition to documenting structures, an oral history of untold stories is included in the project. As a folklorist, I was thrilled and very thankful to our local government officials for initiating such a valuable project.

Who knows the amount of hidden treasures that lie in these untold stories? Not that they have never been told and preserved from one generation to another, but have not been part of mainstream history. It is my opinion that every piece of history - no matter how big, how small, how crucial, how celebratory - brought to light can only bring about positive effects for an entire community.

Thank you, Sumter government, for this. Also, thank you for the beautiful Shot Pouch Trail, South Sumter's Art Park and for the disassembling of the neglected, dangerous and dilapidated Community Hospital. This hospital deserved the greatest of respect - not to mention those who live in its vicinity - for its previous decades of valuable and necessary service.

Today I compared governing and leadership on any level to parenting. I raised five wonderful human beings who have been my greatest teachers of life. It is them who taught the meaning of love, loyalty and commitment, and without them, I can say with certainty that there would not be a fraction of humility in my being. Why humility? Because of the lack of knowledge in raising them, because of a ruptured sense of humanity and because of an unpredictable world.

However, in the past couple of years, I have concluded that the word "perfection" should not even exist in our vernacular because "IT" doesn't exist. If the responsibility of motherhood should glean such complex responsibilities, I can only imagine the challenges of governing a city - a state - a country. It is my opinion that the most essential element to parenting, governing and leadership role is honesty. Deception breeds nothing good - only mistrust and misdirection.

In our community, the deception behind the construction of the Hunting Lodge was close to criminal, in my understanding of its definition, insofar of the use (misuse) of public, hard-working, tax-payers' funds. And on top of hidden project, was to learn of the tens of hundreds of dollars charged to the Post and Courier and Palmetto State Audit - as well as delay, delay, delay - for information that should have FREELY been provided through the Freedom of Information Act. In the parental realm, such actions would be considered neglect and deceit.

This moment is unstable for many of us on many levels. On a hopeful note, I have read where communities are making grass root changes to improve the quality of life for its citizens. Such an endeavor, if it were to take hold and multiply, instability will lessen and we will strengthen foundationally. Honesty is essential. The Hunting Lodge was dishonest in every way and if it were so easy to keep this project hidden from its owners - Sumter citizens - how much more is or has been hidden? I am making a "humble" request to our elected officials to "just say no" to dishonesty, secrecy and even greed. We are all better than this.

As a parent now of grown children and a grandparent, I am still learning from them. Our elected officials can learn, too.

Lastly, I am grateful to Robert Johnson. Such citizenry must multiply.

MICHELLE ROSS

Sumter