Introduction to Family Values

Throughout my adulthood I have truly observed many values that as a child I didn't comprehend or feel were important. When you are young, you think everyone is honest and everyone is truthful and always does the right thing. As you grow, you know, while that should be the case, it most definitely is not. When I was in my teenage years I remember being quite a bit more outspoken and blunt in my opinion of wrong doings or negative actions. I also remember my father telling me to choose my battles wisely and my mother reminding me that I can kill more flies with honey than I can vinegar. While it didn't resonate with a young girl full of hormone changes and opinions beyond one’s wildest imagine, it does today. I remember these two specific values being a hard lesson to learn when I took a stance to participate on the board, created by the Chamber of Commerce, wanting to add a referendum to allow “Alcohol Sales on Sunday” in Rock Hill, SC on the ballot. It may seem like that is nothing big, but it is very big when I was serving as the Site Leader for MADD in York County at the same time. I learned a lot about choosing my words and especially accepting other’s opinions no matter how harshly they threw them my way. I also realized that not everyone had a strict Mama like me who would have probably put soap in the mouths of those who let me know just how they really felt of my stance. I even remember that my father; a great man and President of Coca-Cola warning me about the back lash of religious values and yet again chattering that famous phrase, “choose your battles wisely” followed by know what you are talking about. Believe you me, we butted heads on this and it was hard for me to understand his vote of “NO” when this would bring significant revenue to our company as well as a City. And so I did just what he said, I dug my heels into the subject; accepting the back lash for those not understanding that MADD’s mission would not be affect by the vote to add this referendum. I chose to turn my teenage quick witted responses into civilized and educational responses. I also took this time to address the naysayers in the religious community reminding them, respectfully and tactfully, that this would not change who, what, or how they choose to participate in their religion. I stood my ground because I believed in this battle and its purpose and in late fall of 2006 that battle one the vote on the ballot and went into effect; significantly increasing the City of Rock Hill’s revenue and allowing the addition of several police officers and the purchase of several educational tools to Rock Hill School District #3.