by Curt Kovener
As the calendar has turned, and the events of recent days have resulted in us forgetting most of our New Year’s resolutions, consider these simple things YOU can do to truly Make America Great Again…
•Donate blood.
•Drive safely…especially in construction zones.
•Volunteer. Plenty of good causes need your help.
•Make a contribution to a local charity, and not just during the holidays.
•Stay informed of your community by reading the local newspaper. Pay less attention to Facebook, Twitter and any other social media du jour. Many times it is like reading the writing on a public restroom wall.
•Use your local parks. They are beautiful places.
•Support locally owned businesses. They need you. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
•Be a good neighbor. Mend fences. Build bridges. And we don’t mean the structural kind.
•Embrace your community’s diversity. Scrutinize your biases or prejudices you may hold toward others concerning politics, religion, race, age, gender or sexual orientation.
•Remember: the only race that matters is the human race.
•Thank a veteran but don’t be patronizing when doing so. Ask about then listen to their stories of what they did during their time of service.
•Tell your police, firefighters and EMT’s how much you appreciate the jobs they do and the risks they take to make our communities safe and secure.
•Express gratitude to all those front-line workers— doctors, nurses, health professionals of all kinds— who give so much of themselves to help their communities through these difficult times.
•Be kind to the animals. Be a responsible pet owner.
•Respect the environment. Don’t litter. Take care of community resources. Recycle. Educate yourself about ways to help make your community more sustainable.
•Speak well of your community. Be proud of where you live. Tell people about it.
•Humankind: be both