Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1302805
PEOPLE CALL ME ... 'MISS MACON.' Being on the community side, you just realize ... there's so much more appreciation that I have for this city. I am not a big-city girl. Macon gives me that. I just like having the big-city amenities on a much smaller scale. I love this city. I feel like we're this butterfly, and we are ready to burst through this cocoon, but we're still caught. We're not really ready to fly. I just hope people are ready for the change. I feel like our community is split, half's ready for the change and half are not. And I am just waiting, praying for the day that everybody just realizes we have to grow, and in order to grow, we have to change. We're all creatures of habit. It's so easy for everybody to resume business as usual. But, change is good. Change is healthy. If you've always done it, maybe you should look on the other side of the coin and see, maybe there's another way to do it. I just celebrated my third work anniversary here (at NewTown Macon). It's been ... so rewarding. Basically, I am in charge of all the fiscal responsibilities of the organization, which is a really daunting task. I never thought I wanted to be doing this. It's weird because my dad always said this is what I need to be doing. ... If you do it right, I think you become so passionate about something that it's like, 'In order for this to continue, I need your assistance.' People who know me well would describe me as ... love, passion, faith, doer ... yeah, probably pushover, too ... which is sometimes good, sometimes bad. I wear my heart on my sleeve. We've gotten so selfish. I like Ghandi's quote, 'Be the change you want to see in the world.' People are so, 'What's in it for me?' At any point where I can be what is countercultural. Being understanding and compassionate ... instead of 'I want to talk to your boss,' when you're sitting in a restaurant, the service is really bad, and you realize it's really busy. I just love people. So ... make somebody's day ... try to make somebody's life a little bit easier."– ERIN See full stories at: themaconites.com " ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2017 e Maconites tell our story. is project originally was funded by e Downtown Challenge Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, created to implement the Macon Action Plan. To read the Macon Action Plan, visit MaconActionPlan.com. 96 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020