Tifton Blog

Moving to a new town can be overwhelming. As I unloaded my car, got supper ready, I was in my new home. Tifton. As I continued to settle in, a big, brown dog came wandering up to my fence. He had a tag on, so naturally, I called the number. A woman answered and she said she would be right over to grab Coco. She welcomed me to town and let me know that her son lived next door to us. We continued to talk and finally parted ways for the night. I walked away from the conversation thinking “Ok, it’s all going to be okay.” I was just a scared newcomer with no family here and A LOT of worry. This lady with a brown dog showed kindness and it sure did go a LONG way. The next week I saw this same lady’s face, but in the Local Paper. It was not a mug shot thankfully; she was the newly elected Mayor of Tifton. I felt like a local celebrity. I knew the Mayor of Tifton. As the years went by there was never a moment that I saw her and she was not smiling. She is no longer my neighbor, she is a mentor, and, thankfully, a friend. That kindness is something that I hope that everyone is able to experience in this town. Not only from city officials but from and to your “neighbors”. Our world, our country, and our town has been changing the past few years and will continue to change. Our tea is still sweet, the azaleas are still blooming, and we are still the Friendly City. Remember to at least wave to your neighbors, you never know who they may be or what they are going through, it goes a long way.