New Year’s Hopes

January 10, 2013
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The older I become, the faster a year seems to pass. When I look back, I now recollect in decades rather than in years. Time really flies when more of it is behind you than in front of you.

So now, a new year doesn’t enthrall me like it once did. Since the turn of the century (the one 13 years ago), I tend to think in five and ten year intervals while gazing into the future, which has the effect of expanding my hopes and aspirations.

For our fair city, I pray that the Beltline will connect and comfortably blend our isolated and our exclusive neighborhoods. I look forward to the new Atlanta Falcons Stadium plans to effectively include the revitalization of the existing Vine City and English Ave. neighborhoods and a significant investment in Morris Brown College.

In the coming years, may we live up to our proclamation as an “International City” by fully embracing our international citizens, also known as immigrants. May we be a city too compassionate to neglect the homeless and a city too enlightened to ignore the sick. May we accept Dr. King as our foremost Atlantan and embrace as our mantra his “audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”

And as a Nation, may we move from War to Peace, both internally and externally, and may we expand our frequent prayer asking God to bless America to also include the rest of the World.

-Plemon