Grass is greener back home

by Caleb Jones

cjones@amec.coop

“It’s so cool, Dad. There are rats here bigger than squirrels.” That was the first thing my son, Max, said as we stepped out of our hotel in New York City. This past week, Lindsey and I took the kids to the “City.”

We did the whole tour: Empire State Building, Times Square, Statue of Liberty. Thankfully, Lindsey made sure we packed properly so we didn’t look like the Clampetts rolling into Manhattan.

I’ll admit, I had an ulterior motive. Sure, I wanted to show my kids the sights. But more than that, I wanted them to see the contrast, to understand that not everyone is lucky enough to live on a farm.

There’s value in knowing where your food comes from, in hearing crickets at night instead of sirens and in having neighbors who wave when they drive by.

Don’t get me wrong, I love taking my kids to new places and exposing them to new experiences. It’s one of the best parts about being a dad. But I also worry that today’s social media world has trained us to always chase the “next best thing.” Somewhere along the way, we forget to appreciate what we already have.

That hit home for me on this trip. As I talked to folks in the Big Apple, people dealing with rolling blackouts, electric bills higher than their rent and customer service lines that leave them on hold for more than an hour, I was reminded how thankful I am for our Missouri electric co-ops.

Our co-ops are locally owned and member controlled. The people making decisions about your power are folks you know – the ones sitting next to you at church, coaching your kid’s basketball team or sipping coffee at the local diner.

They don’t answer to Wall Street. They answer to you.

Being part of a cooperative comes with its share of challenges. These include long nights during storms, the pressure of keeping power reliable and affordable and the responsibility of making sure rural families have access to the same opportunities as those in the city. But it also comes with a deep sense of purpose.

Your electric co-op isn’t just a utility. It’s part of your community.

They say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. But after this trip, I think if you asked my family, we’d all agree – we’re pretty dang happy with the grass we’ve got.