Niagara Gazette — The year 2013 is off to a pivotal start. There is so much to overcome in the aftermath of last year. Our governor unveiled an incredible list of things to accomplish in his State of the State address last week. Our president addressed the somber issue of gun reform this week, and celebrations will take place this weekend in honor of the birthday of Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This week, I had the privilege of attending a recap of the State of the State address at the Lockport Town Hall. The recap of the address was brilliantly presented by Leecia Eve, Deputy Secretary for Economic Development, and chief economic development advisor to Governor Cuomo.
I had watched the governor’s address, and read a copy of the transcript, and I could have easily felt cynical or overwhelmed. Given all that occurred at the end of 2012 in our nation as a whole, any one of us could easily respond with the “attitude of the impossible.” Before sharing his vision for the state of New York, Governor Cuomo said in his opening remarks:
“The past few weeks and few months have been a blizzard of emotion — from the unimaginable to the unforgettable; from acts of cowardice to acts of heroism; from cause for despair to cause for celebration. It’s almost hard to get your bearings in the midst of all of it …”
How many of us could echo that sentiment? Just two years earlier in that same state address, Governor Cuomo said, “In government, as in life, you can never solve a problem if you refuse to acknowledge it.” It was very apparent to me that a lot of time, energy and research went in to acknowledging the problems in New York state, in order to devise such an immense plan of action to address them.
In his address, the governor spoke of numerous obstacles we have to overcome to “restore New York as the progressive capital of the nation once again.” In light of numerous mass shootings across the nation, Governor Cuomo, who is a gun owner, gave an impassioned plea to “end the madness now….pass safe, reasonable gun control in the State of New York.”
In her recap of the State of the State address, Ms. Eve reiterated the governor’s plans for economic development, tourism, energy, education, equality and justice. She recapped the state’s vision for job training and creation, as well as plans for volunteerism and emergency response. There were creative plans to help bring restoration, growth, and excellence back to our state.
Despite the enormity of the vision, I couldn’t help leaving the presentation feeling inspired by the possibilities. In that moment, I chose to catch a glimpse of the vision of what “could” be.
Inspiration can be defined as: “the stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity … to be motivated to action.” Governor Cuomo challenged us to imagine the success of our state when “New York state is rising with a passion and a commitment to make this state better than it’s ever been with a brighter future than it’s ever had …”
We all have a choice when faced with positive possibilities. This year, please take a moment to be inspired. Dare to dream, and help make the seemingly “impossible” a possibility this year.
Jackie Davis is an Inspirational vocalist, musician and speaker with over 20 years of television broadcast experience. You can contact her at jjd.22344@yahoo.com.
Jackie Davis is an Inspirational vocalist, musician and speaker with over 20 years of television broadcast experience. You can contact her at jjd.22344@yahoo.com.
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