THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 31, 1995 TAG: 9512290265
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Today is a time for Portsmouth residents to think positively about what they will do for their city in 1996. If every person did one positive thing a day, that could amount to more than 100,000 good acts every 24 hours. Think about it.
What can an individual do?
The possibilities are many, ranging from simple things to complex involvement.
Simple things like picking up a piece of trash off the street or speaking with a smile to a stranger can make a difference, especially if a lot of people are doing them every day.
Demanding but just as important: Join a civic league, become involved in community activities and sign up as a volunteer for one of many jobs that go undone because nobody takes the time.
An individual can stop complaining about how bad things are and start doing something constructive to make them better. Just think what a difference we could make in our tarnished image if half the population said something nice about Portsmouth every day.
If individuals made the effort to send out good vibes to friends and neighbors every day, the atmosphere would be alive with positive feelings. That would pay off in many ways and could be the ultimate answer to what is perceived as a racial problem in this city.
New Year's Day is a time of great optimism. The slate is clean. We can make new commitments to the future.
New Year's resolutions seem to have gone out of fashion. Still the notion of thinking about what one can do to improve one's life - and one's community - is not a bad one. Let the arrival of the new year serve as a reminder to start doing for this city what we must do to make it work.
This is the day to begin. Every person can make a difference simply by committing to one small positive act every day. And that would make life better for all of us. by CNB