Slipping

Eight o’clock on a Sunday morning. It’s quiet at the Snowden Starbucks, and I pick a seat with the scenic view of the bowling alley. I have reached the point that my glasses don’t afford me a clear view of overhead order boards. I reach into my memory and come up blank. I try to appear knowingly ironic as I order a “middle-sized” caramel macchiato.

I’m slipping from middle age to late middle age. I’m wondering if all the people I saw at the Wilde Lake Starbucks used to come here on a Sunday morning. The music on the sound system leans acoustic but not too mournful. Introspective with slight hint of perkiness. Audible wallpaper. 

There will be no Village Election in Oakland Mills this year. No one is running. Well, that’s not quite true.

 Six candidates are running for seven open seats on the Oakland Mills Board.  One candidate is running for the one open Columbia Council Representative seat.  This is a *non-contested race for both the village board and Columbia Council which means that all candidates will be deemed elected and begin their one year Board term on May 1, 2018.  The Oakland Mills Board will confirm the appointment of candidates on April 24, 2018.  

The last time I went to an Oakland Mills Village Board Meeting was to speak on behalf on Jonathan Edelson as Board Chair. I remember being particularly concerned about the lack of participation in Village Elections. I challenged the board to dedicate some time and energy to involving a larger share of Oakland Mills in the election process. 

We need more people to be informed, to care, and to vote.

I know this Village Board works hard and I also know that when one is in the middle of attending to the issues one is faced with, in the moment, those long-term goals slip out of consciousness. It has been a source of relief to me that I am no longer in fear of angry people trying to “re-invent” my Village. I do feel that our current board is caring for, nurturing, paying attention to our Village. 

This piece is in no way a criticism of their work. The problem of declining participation and uncontested Elections is Columbia-wide.

Columbia is a verb. Until it isn’t. 

Perhaps Columbia was a fad, a craze, a cult that didn’t necessary “take” with the next generation. Or perhaps the focus has shifted to just getting by. Both parents working just to make it. No extra money for baby sitters and anyway, what if something went wrong? We work too hard. We worry. We wake up early, go to bed late and wonder if we are making our children’s lives better or worse.

Like I said, late middle age. Visions of mortality. The sounds of the audible wallpaper are morphing into something more decidedly mournful. The Starbucks is filling up. We’re all together, alone at our separate tables. With our electronic devices. 

I tell you what. Let’s make a date to get together this Spring. Put it on your calendar now: the annual Oakland Mills Village Plant Sale. They still have that even if there’s no election. There will still be Spring, after all.

Annual Plant Sale
We will hold our annual plant sale for plants, hanging baskets, and herbs on Saturday, April 28 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.  This is a great opportunity to purchase quality plants at great prices and for a great cause - it's a fundraiser for the Oakland Mills community.