point of view

I had a great opportunity this week, but I missed it. I received a call from a relatively new resident, she is 62 years old, disabled & alone. She thought she had moved to a nice community, but she is looking to move out in less than one year. "There are a lot of rude people here, is it because I don't live on a farm?" She has nothing good to say, the worst place she has ever lived. I apologized for her bad experience. What I missed, if I had listened for what she didn't say, was she asking for help to change her experience? I should have connected her with the Senior Center with transportation to/from the Center. There she could immediately meet the community she was seeking. She could meet someone that shares her interests & an opportunity to learn more about the community she selected & hoped she could find. Looking forward to getting it right this week.

Celebrating work anniversaries this week - Jenny Barbosa, Recreation Program Supervisor - 2 years; Sarah Carlyle, Front Desk Clerk - 1 year.

• Salt of the Earth - entrenched in traditional, rural lifestyles. Citizens are older, & many have grown children that have moved away. They still cherish family time & also tend to their vegetable gardens & prepare homemade meals. Residents embrace the outdoors, they spend most of their free time preparing for their next fishing, boating, or camping trip. The majority have at least a high school diploma or some college education; many have expanded their skill set during their years of employment in the manufacturing & related industries. They may be experienced with DIY projects.
• Heartland Community - well settled & close knit, semirural & semiretired. These older householders are primarily homeowners, & many have paid off their mortgages. Their children have moved away, but they have no plans to leave their homes. Their hearts are with the country; they embrace the slower pace of life here but actively participate in outdoor activities & community events. Traditional & patriotic, these residents support their local businesses, always buy American, & favor domestic driving vacation over foreign plane trips.
• Middleburg - transformed from the easy pace of country living to semirural subdivisions in the last decade, as the housing boom spread beyond large metropolitan cities. Residents are traditional, family-oriented consumers. Still more country than rock & roll, they are thrifty but willing to carry some debt & are already investing in their futures. They rely on their smart phones & mobile devices to stay in touch & pride themselves on their expertise. They prefer to buy American & travel in the US. This market is younger but growing in size & assets.

Many of us yearn for a place that takes us back in time to a magical moment from our past. There is truly something special about Christmas in Missouri. Small towns go all out with decorations & school concerts. Big cities put on their best shows to entertain the masses. So, if you are up for a little road trip to get you in the holiday spirit, there are the Best Towns in MO for Christmas are: Branson, Noel, St. Charles, Hermann, St. Louis Union Station, Warrensburg, Cape Girardeau, Hannibal, KC's Country Club Plaza, & Fulton. Honorable mentions include these additional places to experience a MO Christmas: Washington, Independence, Lee's Summit, Springfield, MO Botanical Garden, JC, Columbia, Lake of the Ozarks, Kirkwood & Excelsior Springs. www.missourilegends.com