Getting cooler out. Flurries out there today! Lots to do, lots to do!
I am resentful at having to go out into this frigid air, but Bitsy is worked up, and when that happens, it only makes sense to respond.
I consider the conversation I’m about to have with her, more about this damned statue of Mick. What was Mayor Charlotte thinking? What could have possibly been going through her mind? Announcing its construction smack dab in the middle of the Peach Festival – no discussion, no vetting, no Town Hall … just a big peach pit on all of our heads.
WAIT! Yes, that’s it! A Town Hall!
If I am ever going to lead this town – and by God I will, with Bitsy by my side – I will have to be more transparent with our people, ask them for input, bring them into the conversation …
Yes, a Town Hall.
I can’t wait now to get to Bitsy.
I walk into the Riverside, warm and inviting as it always is. Thoughts are flying through my head – disorganized, random, very exciting thoughts.
“Wanda, have a seat. You look like you could use an Irish Coffee.” Bitsy pulls a chair out for me as I drape my coat over the nearby rack. I warm my hands at the fireplace beside us.
“That would be fantastic. Bitsy, I’m so glad to see you!”
Cassie places the coffee next to my chair and smiles. Bitsy nods. “Lots to discuss, for sure.”
“I think I have the perfect idea,” I say. I can feel myself kicking into sales mode. “A Town Hall! That way we can get everyone’s feedback, take the temperature of the town, and make it clear that, unlike that fraud Mayor Charlotte, I … er, we … we have the best interests of Middle Valley in mind.”
Bitsy nods and begins to speak, yet I’m hearing nothing. Is she hearing me, or just simply dictating?
I can tell that we agree that bringing the statue to Middle Valley was a mistake. I can tell by her chitter chatter that the bump to the local economy Mayor Charlotte had hoped for didn’t really come to fruition. Most visitors are young, no expendable income to speak of, and they’re bringing problems that actually have a negative impact – on police security and at taxpayer expense.
“It’s one thing to have it physically removed – not a big deal,” I say. We have, of course, already agreed to get the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame involved. “It’s the donors I worry about.”
Bitsy flips through a thick stack of documents held together on a clipboard. “The majority of the contributions were small, cash, and mostly anonymous. They won’t be a problem. There are a dozen or so that were more significant.”
I’m not sure if it’s my nerves that are making me jittery or the cold. I feel like she’s taking over. Then again, I feel like she should. I should stand for the solution to all of this, the endgame, the new page, the fresh start!
Bitsy continues. “I can reach out to the larger donors and see about some sort of compensation, maybe do something in their name elsewhere. I’ll keep on it, and we’ll round them up for a Town Hall. I’m liking that idea more and more. What do you think?”
I nod and sip. With Bitsy, sometimes, it’s best to let her think something is her idea.
Jenny Page