Several years ago, my 5-year-old granddaughter and my youngest son had an interesting exchange. They were standing by our flower garden when my granddaughter told my son that she saw a bee. My son said he also saw the bee and told her it was a bumblebee. She immediately asked, “How do you know?” He replied, “Because it is yellow and black.” She responded, “How do you know that?” He stated, “Because I saw it.” He also knew it was a bumblebee because he is very knowledgeable about insects and loves to do research. Obviously, my granddaughter didn’t trust that my son knew what he was talking about!

In today’s world, many are asking the same question: “How do you know that?” There are so many conflicting sources of information available that people are confused and don’t know what or who to believe. This dilemma applies not only to the current health pandemic but also to decisions that are made at almost every level of government. Trust seems to be at an all-time low and is contributing to the divide in our country. I can’t help but recall the comments of President Reagan: “Trust but verify!” It all starts with trust, and then we have a personal responsibility to determine the truth. Those who participated in our municipal election evidenced a degree of trust when they cast their vote for certain individuals. To verify that trust, it is important for you to be involved in the decisions that are being made by the city council. The best way to do this is to attend city council meetings, and I invite you to do so.

We are definitely living in interesting times. We are experiencing many of the same things previous generations experienced. We have seen incredible technological advancements, economic successes, a roller coaster stock market, pandemics, economic turmoil, and both low and high unemployment rates. The question one might ask is what will be our legacy?

My parents were both born in 1923. They are part of what has been labeled the Greatest Generation. Many of this generation served in World War II and the Korean War. Many in this generation experienced the stock market crash of 1929 and high unemployment rates. Additionally, they experienced the flu pandemic of 1918. They also experienced technological advancements such as the radio and telephone. So, why are they remembered as the Greatest Generation? Because they knew how to withstand hardships, and they built a better world because of it. Characteristics of this generation included personal responsibility, humility, integrity, commitment, TRUST, and self-sacrifice. Many of these same attributes exist in our citizens today. What may be less prevalent is trust. I believe there is room for improvement in this area.

I encourage each of us to increase our level of trust in each other and take personal responsibility for verifying what’s true. You never know when you might have to explain how you knew it was a bumblebee.

Mayor Neal Berube