To the Editor:

We are Nearly Perfect, Always Tryon. And nearly perfect suggests we have room to be even better. Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. Lets break this bad habit. Throw your dreams into space like a boomerang, let it soar, you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new town.

When I could run, I ran; while I can walk, Ill walk; when I can only crawl, Ill crawl. But by the grace of God, I pray Ill always be moving forward, Ill promise to be open minded and listen to your ideas and comments, Ill hope you respect my decisions when I am pressed to make them, I hope you will get behind our combined efforts and ideas then help make them successful.

I am naive enough to think we can all go fore-ward into the next year and make great things happen in and for our town together. I am committed to this.

There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you are committed to something you accept no excuses, only results! We should be committed to changing our town back to what it used to be, a thriving village of interesting shops, eateries and art galleries that was enticing to near by metropolises as an great weekend destination and if we cant accomplish that, then we should be committed! We should look fore-ward to the future and create new festivals, embellish existing ones, take advantage of our resources and have a good time doing it.

If I can see farther than others, it is because I am standing on the shoulders of giants. And the giants I refer to are all our local community, civic and volunteer groups.

So as the giant silver ball drops from our own Tryon Rotary Clock Tower on New Years Eve at Ten Oclock Tryon Midnight, lets remember what Maria Robinson said: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. It takes optimism, money, energy, imagination and action to accomplish what we need to do in the near future to save this Nearly Perfect, Always Tryon village we call home. I hope we can go into the New Year united as a community with the goal of improving Nearly Perfect and enjoying Always Tryon.

Doug Arbogast