Monday, August 10, 2009
30 second recap
On the odd chance that there are people out there who don't know what's going on with my life (and actually read this silly little thing) - heres the recap of the last 90 days in about 30 seconds.
Back in February I got a call about the CEO position of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce. The interview process was long, fun, and hard at the same time. I made the final three applicants and then came in runner up. I resigned to not moving back home and started looking for more campaign clients in Jacksonville. 2 weeks after I didn't get the job I got a call from the guy who did get the job. He was offering me a management position with the Chamber. It was a lot to think about, but in the end I decided it was absolutely worth it and I was ready to relocate back to my hometown. Kendall and I moved down on Memorial Day weekend and are loving it. Work is stressful on some days but it was a great career decision and I'm excited to bring about positive change in Citrus County. We have our own place now (after living at a good friends ranch for the first month or so) and are finding our niche. We've rekindled lots of old friendships but have also made some new ones. Adjusting to life without Target and Starbucks is a lot easier than I imagined and life is good!
Back in February I got a call about the CEO position of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce. The interview process was long, fun, and hard at the same time. I made the final three applicants and then came in runner up. I resigned to not moving back home and started looking for more campaign clients in Jacksonville. 2 weeks after I didn't get the job I got a call from the guy who did get the job. He was offering me a management position with the Chamber. It was a lot to think about, but in the end I decided it was absolutely worth it and I was ready to relocate back to my hometown. Kendall and I moved down on Memorial Day weekend and are loving it. Work is stressful on some days but it was a great career decision and I'm excited to bring about positive change in Citrus County. We have our own place now (after living at a good friends ranch for the first month or so) and are finding our niche. We've rekindled lots of old friendships but have also made some new ones. Adjusting to life without Target and Starbucks is a lot easier than I imagined and life is good!
Reasons Why #4 - Creative Community Playground
In the spring of 1995, a group of community leaders, elected officials, a corporate playground construction company, and a bunch of elementary and middle schools sat in a room at Crystal River Middle School. The playground company presented a plan to build a community playground in Crystal River. This playground would benefit the entire community, be built of recycled and donated materials, and be constructed with the blood sweat and tears of the community. To ensure that the children of the community would utilize this playground – they sought our opinion.
In the spring of 1995 I was in that meeting and throughout the fall of 1995 I assisted in building that playground. Initially getting involved seemed like an easy way to get some of the needed community service hours I would need to graduate high school, but the further into the process we (the group of friends and I who worked on the project) really began to have fun. If my memory serves me correctly it only took a few weekends of construction work after months of planning to construct. Until recently I just chalked it up to another life experience, an ice breaker perhaps. How many people do you know who have built a playground?
Now it’s so much more than that. Not only is it in my direct line of sight from my new office digs, it’s now my daughter’s favorite place to go to. Surreal defined. If you would have told me 14 years ago in that planning meeting that the playground we were about to construct would one day be a favorite play spot of my 4 year old daughter I probably would have laughed you out of the room. (My life plan at that time only involved having sons.)
Having spent many recent afternoons at the Creative Playground, I realized it holds a spot on my list of reasons why I love Citrus County. True there are playgrounds in every town across this county, but not like this. And trust me; I’ve seen hundreds of playgrounds. This playground was a concerted effort of a community that cared enough about its children to pull together and create a unique place specifically for them. I had always been proud to be apart of its birth but now I’m beaming that I’m around to enjoy it in its maturity.
In the spring of 1995 I was in that meeting and throughout the fall of 1995 I assisted in building that playground. Initially getting involved seemed like an easy way to get some of the needed community service hours I would need to graduate high school, but the further into the process we (the group of friends and I who worked on the project) really began to have fun. If my memory serves me correctly it only took a few weekends of construction work after months of planning to construct. Until recently I just chalked it up to another life experience, an ice breaker perhaps. How many people do you know who have built a playground?
Now it’s so much more than that. Not only is it in my direct line of sight from my new office digs, it’s now my daughter’s favorite place to go to. Surreal defined. If you would have told me 14 years ago in that planning meeting that the playground we were about to construct would one day be a favorite play spot of my 4 year old daughter I probably would have laughed you out of the room. (My life plan at that time only involved having sons.)
Having spent many recent afternoons at the Creative Playground, I realized it holds a spot on my list of reasons why I love Citrus County. True there are playgrounds in every town across this county, but not like this. And trust me; I’ve seen hundreds of playgrounds. This playground was a concerted effort of a community that cared enough about its children to pull together and create a unique place specifically for them. I had always been proud to be apart of its birth but now I’m beaming that I’m around to enjoy it in its maturity.
Reasons Why #3 - The View from Kings Bay
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this could be a rather lengthy column. There are few images that are engrained into my brain that I retreat too more than the view of the Kings Bay. I’ve carried it with me all these years I’ve been away and frequently pulled it out of its mental file.
Now that I’m home, I find myself now always taking Kings Bay Drive as opposed to Highway 19 just so I can drive over the bridge at 15 mph get a glimpse of the beautiful view (the bridge by the way that I have never jumped off of or witnessed any of my friends jumping off of – wink, wink). The view from the Port is another place I find myself often, sitting, gazing, and reveling in that view. One of my personal favorites is the view from Cracker’s Bar and Grille.
The reason for this is that usually from Crackers you will find a sailboat or two peacefully floating in the bay. I’ve always dreamt what it would be like to live on a sailboat. And there’s the little island. The one with the lone little house. I’ve dreamt about living in that house too. Living there would hinder my late night Taco Bell addiction; however can you imagine waking up surrounded by the Bay in all her glory every day?
Growing up many a day were spent on the Bay (and if jet skis were involved, many a pair of sunglasses were lost in the Bay). Whether it was a holiday or just a random Saturday, any day out on the Bay was a good day. She was the fifth friend when a group of four of us were out on the water. She was a good friend, who was always there and taken for granted. It wasn’t until moving on you realized how important she was.
But like any good friend, even after years of not being together – she’s still there for me. She offers serenity, natural beauty, and comfort. She’s the most important member of this community that which everything is built upon. Can you even imagine, even fathom a thought of what our community would be like without her? She’s a reason why we are here and a reason why I love this place.
Now that I’m home, I find myself now always taking Kings Bay Drive as opposed to Highway 19 just so I can drive over the bridge at 15 mph get a glimpse of the beautiful view (the bridge by the way that I have never jumped off of or witnessed any of my friends jumping off of – wink, wink). The view from the Port is another place I find myself often, sitting, gazing, and reveling in that view. One of my personal favorites is the view from Cracker’s Bar and Grille.
The reason for this is that usually from Crackers you will find a sailboat or two peacefully floating in the bay. I’ve always dreamt what it would be like to live on a sailboat. And there’s the little island. The one with the lone little house. I’ve dreamt about living in that house too. Living there would hinder my late night Taco Bell addiction; however can you imagine waking up surrounded by the Bay in all her glory every day?
Growing up many a day were spent on the Bay (and if jet skis were involved, many a pair of sunglasses were lost in the Bay). Whether it was a holiday or just a random Saturday, any day out on the Bay was a good day. She was the fifth friend when a group of four of us were out on the water. She was a good friend, who was always there and taken for granted. It wasn’t until moving on you realized how important she was.
But like any good friend, even after years of not being together – she’s still there for me. She offers serenity, natural beauty, and comfort. She’s the most important member of this community that which everything is built upon. Can you even imagine, even fathom a thought of what our community would be like without her? She’s a reason why we are here and a reason why I love this place.
Reasons Why #2 - Sense of Community
One of my first Sunday mornings back in town I was rushing to head to church. This is rather common in my life, I find myself perpetually running 5 minutes behind. On this particular morning it was easier to grab breakfast on the go rather than try and make something at home. So I found myself stopping at a bagel shop near Citrus Hills. I quickly ran inside and got in line to order my food.
The couple in front of me were obviously heading out on the boat and I overheard most of their chatter. They were bedecked in boating attire, discussing the tides, asking one another if they had packed the sunscreen, and placing an extremely large sandwich order. So large in fact that I had to seriously consider leaving without ordering in attempts to make it to church on time. (At this point though I was already late and what’s the difference between being 4 minutes late or being 8 minutes late – not much, late is late.)
After I received my bagel (everything toasted with plain cream cheese), I darted out the door. As I was briskly walking in the parking lot towards my car, I noticed two young adults with their car hood up and obviously having car problems. I knew I had jumper cables in my car and even though jumping them would make me so late for church going would be borderline ridiculous, I figured no one else around would stop and help these kids. And then I saw the most wonderful thing.
Coming from across the parking lot was the large-sandwich-order-ordering-headed-out-on-the-boat couple. They had already intercepted the car trouble situation and even though they had grandiose boating plans for the day they were going to stop and help these kids out. They were willing to take ten minutes out of their bust day for a random act of kindness. Not only did my heart soar because I was off the hook and headed to church running only 8 minutes behind schedule, but it was the first time in the longest time I’ve seen strangers do something like that for each other.
While I’ve only been back a few weeks now, the number one question I keep getting asked is “Why did you want to move back here after living in a big city?”. It’s the little things like this that answer that question. You don’t see things like this in larger cities. Everyone is running in the rat race and no one notices when someone falls down on the sidelines. Its peace of mind knowing that in fifteen years, that could be my daughter and comfort knowing the people of this community will stop and help. This is the type of place I want to raise my daughter, it’s not a group of towns within county lines, it’s a community and that’s truly priceless. It’s just another reason why.
The couple in front of me were obviously heading out on the boat and I overheard most of their chatter. They were bedecked in boating attire, discussing the tides, asking one another if they had packed the sunscreen, and placing an extremely large sandwich order. So large in fact that I had to seriously consider leaving without ordering in attempts to make it to church on time. (At this point though I was already late and what’s the difference between being 4 minutes late or being 8 minutes late – not much, late is late.)
After I received my bagel (everything toasted with plain cream cheese), I darted out the door. As I was briskly walking in the parking lot towards my car, I noticed two young adults with their car hood up and obviously having car problems. I knew I had jumper cables in my car and even though jumping them would make me so late for church going would be borderline ridiculous, I figured no one else around would stop and help these kids. And then I saw the most wonderful thing.
Coming from across the parking lot was the large-sandwich-order-ordering-headed-out-on-the-boat couple. They had already intercepted the car trouble situation and even though they had grandiose boating plans for the day they were going to stop and help these kids out. They were willing to take ten minutes out of their bust day for a random act of kindness. Not only did my heart soar because I was off the hook and headed to church running only 8 minutes behind schedule, but it was the first time in the longest time I’ve seen strangers do something like that for each other.
While I’ve only been back a few weeks now, the number one question I keep getting asked is “Why did you want to move back here after living in a big city?”. It’s the little things like this that answer that question. You don’t see things like this in larger cities. Everyone is running in the rat race and no one notices when someone falls down on the sidelines. Its peace of mind knowing that in fifteen years, that could be my daughter and comfort knowing the people of this community will stop and help. This is the type of place I want to raise my daughter, it’s not a group of towns within county lines, it’s a community and that’s truly priceless. It’s just another reason why.
Reasons Why I love Citrus County
Without further adieu below is the first column I wrote for the Chronicle. The theme of my weekly column is "Reasons Why" (I love Citrus County....there are so many of them!) Hope you enjoy!
Reasons Why #1
by Meredith Linley
I’m an inherent listmaker. Whether it’s in my head, on a post-it note, or on my blackberry, I’m always making lists. When faced with any decision, large or small, I always make a list of pros and cons. So recently when I was faced with a decision to take a job in Citrus County and relocate home; my gut reaction was to make my faithful pro/con list.
After deciding that having a Starbucks nearby was not a necessity – do you know what happened? All I could put on my con list was that there wasn’t a Target within 5 miles of my house. As my mother quickly pointed out, “Meredith, there’s always Target.com.” Mothers are very smart.
Literally, there isn’t enough time or paper for me to list the reasons why I love Citrus County. It’s mildly pathetic actually. I’m convinced I’m the only 28 year old on this planet who has been wearing an ear to ear grin because I got to move back home; home to Citrus County. Of course it’s icing on the cake that I accepted a fantastic job with the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout my adult life (the whopping decade it has been thus far) my end goal was to land a job in Citrus County that would enable me make this area an even better place than it was when I grew up. To have the ability to give back to a community that gave so much to me as a youth and help create a community for my young daughter. As you can assume this was near the top of my pro list.
The longer I resonated the idea of moving in my head, the longer my list of pros got. From my closest friends who live here, to my home church, the incredible view of Kings Bay from Cracker’s at sunset, and the thought of volunteering at my alma mater CRHS – the list was getting a little out of control. So even though I did thoughtfully and prayerfully consider it, in the end it was a no-brainer.
Now I’ve made the move and am back home. Gone was the life I led in the metropolis of Jacksonville, where I had been living and running political campaigns for the last five years. Now I’m here in Citrus County, the heart of the Nature Coast and the only place that has truly captured my heart. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.
The best part of my pro/con list, is that long after the decision was made the pro list continues to grow. Granted, there isn’t a Target in the area, but there are several homegrown businesses here that I’d much rather support than Target any day. Every day something else strikes me that deserves a ranking on my (outrageously long) list of reasons why I love Citrus County.
One of the best so far was seeing a local deli on a Saturday afternoon with the CLOSED sign in its window. Outsiders may see this as an omen of bad economic times. Us local’s we saw the small handwritten sign under the CLOSED sign that simply read “Gone Fishin”. We understood, and we smiled.
Reasons Why #1
by Meredith Linley
I’m an inherent listmaker. Whether it’s in my head, on a post-it note, or on my blackberry, I’m always making lists. When faced with any decision, large or small, I always make a list of pros and cons. So recently when I was faced with a decision to take a job in Citrus County and relocate home; my gut reaction was to make my faithful pro/con list.
After deciding that having a Starbucks nearby was not a necessity – do you know what happened? All I could put on my con list was that there wasn’t a Target within 5 miles of my house. As my mother quickly pointed out, “Meredith, there’s always Target.com.” Mothers are very smart.
Literally, there isn’t enough time or paper for me to list the reasons why I love Citrus County. It’s mildly pathetic actually. I’m convinced I’m the only 28 year old on this planet who has been wearing an ear to ear grin because I got to move back home; home to Citrus County. Of course it’s icing on the cake that I accepted a fantastic job with the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout my adult life (the whopping decade it has been thus far) my end goal was to land a job in Citrus County that would enable me make this area an even better place than it was when I grew up. To have the ability to give back to a community that gave so much to me as a youth and help create a community for my young daughter. As you can assume this was near the top of my pro list.
The longer I resonated the idea of moving in my head, the longer my list of pros got. From my closest friends who live here, to my home church, the incredible view of Kings Bay from Cracker’s at sunset, and the thought of volunteering at my alma mater CRHS – the list was getting a little out of control. So even though I did thoughtfully and prayerfully consider it, in the end it was a no-brainer.
Now I’ve made the move and am back home. Gone was the life I led in the metropolis of Jacksonville, where I had been living and running political campaigns for the last five years. Now I’m here in Citrus County, the heart of the Nature Coast and the only place that has truly captured my heart. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.
The best part of my pro/con list, is that long after the decision was made the pro list continues to grow. Granted, there isn’t a Target in the area, but there are several homegrown businesses here that I’d much rather support than Target any day. Every day something else strikes me that deserves a ranking on my (outrageously long) list of reasons why I love Citrus County.
One of the best so far was seeing a local deli on a Saturday afternoon with the CLOSED sign in its window. Outsiders may see this as an omen of bad economic times. Us local’s we saw the small handwritten sign under the CLOSED sign that simply read “Gone Fishin”. We understood, and we smiled.
It's August - what the...
I realize its been an excessively long time since I updated and literally my entire world has completely changed so I'm due for an update. However I've been promising to post my columns from the Chronicle online so my friends who don't live here can read them. So here are the ones that have run thus far and I will try and get out a life update so far...although you may be able to surmise alot from the columns.....
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