Guest Commentary: Our Community Needs to Be Strong, Despite Fear About the Future

Lewis County has some challenges in front of us, I won’t deny that, but as a community we will get through this. I have a dear friend, Centralia Councilwoman Kelly Smith Johnston and she has mentored me for a few years on the “Theory of Hope.” She and I have discussed the topic many times as we got the Boys and Girls Club of Chehalis up and running, as she ran for an elected position, and as we partnered together on several other community-based projects. There are statistics that show that if an individual has a strong belief in hope within their life that they actually have a higher rate of success, including such things as a higher graduation rate, etc.

I’m sure some read this and will think, “What does that have to do with my struggle right now?” That’s a legitimate question because this has been an uneasy time for all of us. What I am here to share today is that I believe our community as a collective group can have hope for our bright future in Lewis County. If we work right now to keep a forward thinking frame of mind, we will have a higher rate of success as we march through a bit of darkness.

I want to acknowledge the fear we all have. Some want to say, “Well, back during the flood we did it this way.” This isn’t the flood. The flood was localized and we had outside help from people who were not worried about their own homes and their own livelihoods. We have to look deep within our own community in this time and be resourceful within our own county. There is no white horse that is going to come from out of the area to save us. We are the white horse. We are creating our own path forward right now and we need to do it together. We need collective hope.

The COVID-19 virus doesn’t care if your ZIP code is 98532 or 98356, it doesn’t care if you live on a hill or next to a railroad track, it doesn’t care if you’re getting ready to graduate or if you are getting ready to retire, it doesn’t care if you have a savings account or if you live paycheck to paycheck. It doesn’t care it has and will affect all of us. In turn everyone should be doing what they can to help us get through this time. 

What can you do? What can we do as a community? Stay home and stay safe is a good start. It is a concept most of us have never experienced but truly is the most effective way to lighten the spread. Secondly, practice social distancing. The 6 foot rule comes into play with social distancing and it isn’t just a random number someone chose. The distance is set because of the likelihood of the virus being passed when standing too close to someone who is coughing or sneezing or even someone who is talking excitedly. 

Third, if you have a business, can you put adaptive business practices into effect? Altering your business model to still provide a service is a great way to help our economy stay as strong as possible. There is a lot that can be done as we shelter in place. People are volunteering to sew masks, donating needed resources to our first responders, making sure children are still engaging in their education and checking in on their neighbors via the telephone. 

Lastly, avoid the social media frenzy. While I encourage people to find a trusted information resource, social media sites can increase anxiety, worry and fill your head with misinformation. Unnecessary finger-pointing and keyboard warriors need to be ignored. We simply don’t have time for that type of behavior. Many find that without even knowing it that their hope is being drained via social media sites. It’s our responsibility to make sure our community keeps hope and a sense of community alive. It’s a time of coming together and what we need is to support and encourage each other in a way we have never done before. We need to be Lewis County Strong! 

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Alicia Bull is the Executive Director of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at abull@chamberway.com.