Not All Roses

Not All Roses

I attended a marathon Roanoke County Board of Supervisors meeting this afternoon and evening at the old Southview Elementary. It began at 3 pm and ended at 10:24 pm with a break for dinner somewhere in the middle. I’ll share my notes from that meeting tomorrow or the next day, but I suspect that by the time you read this you will have already heard or read about this meeting.

Late in the evening, a verbal confrontation erupted between Chairman Joe McNamara and a citizen who rose to speak in the public comment section of the meeting. Actually, Joe did more receiving than giving, as was his role. Joe listened respectfully as the man brought up issues about which he was concerned. Then the man began to direct his comments toward Butch Church, who is running for re-election. His comments were stinging, angry, political, and pointed. McNamara interrupted the man and asked him to stop his attack. He managed to inform the man that he must address his remarks to the board chair and not individual board members. McNamara was firm, yet in control.

As the confrontation de-escalated, I felt bad for the board members, all five of them. As a teacher, I’ve been on the wrong end of “conversations” like that one before. You feel trapped because you really want to shout back, but it’s not your place to do that. It takes incredible patience and self-control to maintain a sense of professionalism when you are being blasted. Whenever that happens to me, I always end up singing that ole Johnny Paycheck hit in my head, “Well you can take this job and shove it; I ain’t workin’ here no more.” Then a day or so later, I usually am buoyed by something a kid does to lift my spirits.

For those brief moments, I felt an unusual kinship with that elected board. I hope that feeling doesn’t pass. The adverse situation dropped their shields of invulnerability and unveiled their fragility. Frankly, it made them more human and respected in my eyes.

More later…