I Get My Inspiration from Yahoo! Contributor Network

Writing for Yahoo! Contributor Network is inspiring, as it reminds me that America is still a great nation, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well, people still care about one another, and it is morning in America once again. My inspiration comes as soon as I see the home page.

The home page provides that over 600,000 people are part of the Yahoo! Contributor Network. This Web site is where our voices join the world’s conversation. The world wonders why we continue to write for pennies. Most of us will not obtain new and exciting careers from this endeavor, and most will not find a place in history. We continue to write for one very important reason, the world is a better place because we are part of the world’s conversation.

I decided to test the proposition that being part of the world’s conversation makes the world a better place. I tested this proposition where it is truly needed and where the results can be measured. So, I tested it in my home town of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

This test and this philosophy became a way of life with me, as now I feel I must join the world’s conversation to make a positive difference. Let me share some examples where I did make a positive difference.

Building a Safer City

In the fall of 2010, Mayor Leighton held a town meeting up the street from my residence. I decided to attend to raise some important issues.

I live next to a major apartment complex known as Park Avenue Towers, and a lot of senior citizens live there. I was concerned about two issues. The parking lot empties into the street where I live. There is stop sign on my street to allow people exiting the complex to merge into traffic. The problem is that most people do not know the stop sign is there, and they go right through it. I am concerned that one day there will be a crash between someone going through the stop sign and someone exiting the parking lot.

A second concern I have is that there is frequently an ambulance at the apartment complex rushing people to the hospital. I advised that with winter coming up, the city should give priority to keeping the parking lot and the streets in and around the apartment complex free of ice and snow during the winter season.

My representative on city council, Councilwoman Kathy Kane, offered to represent me at a traffic control meeting in the city and raise the issue. I agreed. After the traffic meeting, the city provided increased police patrols in the neighborhood and began warning people who go through the stop sign. There have not been any accidents involving people exiting the parking lot at the apartment complex. The city is also doing a good job keeping the streets clear and getting the ambulance in and out of the apartment complex. Councilwoman Kane commended me for my efforts to improve the situation at Park Avenue Towers.

Request for Civility

City council meetings, like town hall meetings in many cities, are getting out of hand in Wilkes-Barre. The bad behavior is recorded and put on YouTube for all to see. I am very concerned about these episodes before council. So, I addressed council and pointed out that this bad behavior could eventually ruin the city’s reputation. I presented three principles to improve the situation. First, everyone who addresses council should do so in a professional and civil manner. Second, members of council should publish their contact information, so citizens can get in touch with them and resolve problems as quickly as possible. Third, I asked everyone on council, the mayor, and everyone in city hall to treat the citizens with dignity and respect, to expect criticism, and not to retaliate when criticized as this only makes things worse. City Councilman Tony George said he agreed with everything I said, and Councilman Tony Brown said I had some good points and that council would like to get more involved in the issues.

Conclusion

I am inspired by Yahoo! Contributor Network, as their philosophy of joining the world’s conversion makes the world a better place. Collectively with over 600,000 contributors, we are having an enormous impact.


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