I was honored to give the keynote remarks for the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission\’s Annual Meeting on Friday, November 2nd.
The theme of my message was, \”It\’s Good to Be Old Fashioned\”
Call me old fashioned, but I believe our society is in need of a moral reboot. As we experience the world through social media and sensationalized news, it feels as if we have to look harder to find kindness, compassion, personal responsibility and other values that have historically grounded and connected our families and local and national communities.
These elusive, old-fashioned values include integrity, leading by example, empathy, work ethic, honesty, fidelity, community pride, patriotic pride, faith in people, faith in a supreme architect, neighborly love, honor, respect of traditions, respect of family, commitment, politeness, and yes, prayer.
Don’t get me wrong, the days of yesteryear had their own turmoil, injustices and social wrongdoings, but our communities shared a common plumb line and core principles that brought our society together to face those challenges.
Now, when a public figure displays these old-fashioned values, they are ridiculed and dismissed as out-of-touch, behind-the-times, or worse.
Solving problems has become harder because our public discourse has lost its moral compass.
You don’t have to be “woke” or politically correct to make a difference. It’s OK to let old fashioned values like compassion, hard work and pride lead the way to a stronger community. Here in Western Maryland, we are fortunate our small-town values connect us and bring us together as we confront our challenges and lift each other up during hard times. I encourage all of us to be a little more “old fashioned” and be an example for the rest of the State and nation.