Three years ago, on February 3, 2022, I sat here at my desk and composed what would be the first of over 156 Mayor’s Messages printed in our Darien Direct Connect. Over the course of that three-year period, I worked to convey information that, for the most part is unrelated to the City’s governmental operations, but rather provide messages that are of a more personal nature. My goal was to compose messages that while they were my recounting of events from my own life, others could relate to their lives.
Now, three years and 150 plus messages later, I feel a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of pride that I have been able to compose weekly messages that so many people have enjoyed. Your response has been overwhelmingly positive, and many of you have expressed how these messages gave you pause to consider occurrences as well as people from you own lives. Truth be told there have been several who have told me they skip my messages, and only read the information they consider “important.” Personally, that is their choice, so I will continue to compose material that has a message; that we who work for the benefit of our residents, face and deal with many of the life issues that each of our residents face on a day-to-day basis.
Last February, my plan was to publish the first two years of these messages; I thought of self-publishing, but learned that self-publishing carries with it a significant cost. Now my proposed book titled “Messaging Darien” sits behind me on my credenza, growing with a new message for each Thursday of 2024 and early 2025. When and if I ever get around to publishing “my book,” there are many of you out there who will get a signed copy. So, just as the quote states, the three-year anniversary of my Mayor’s Messages, is “just the starting point for the next big leap forward.”
Thank you for your responses over the last three years, negative or positive, its rewarding to know that people are aware of these messages, and in some cases, they feel as if my messages have touched their lives. While I have taken a short break from creating new writings, I am ready to begin again in creating messages that hopefully all of you will read and enjoy.