The State of the Lake

By Nancy Black

“A persuasive speech is a specific type of speech in which the speaker has a goal of convincing the audience to accept his or her point of view. The speech is arranged in such a way as to hopefully cause the audience to accept all or part of the expressed view.” — Lumen

As the memory of the Super Blue Blood Moon rising above White Rock Lake still lingers in our minds, allow me to take this opportunity to reflect on the great wonder that is our community. Each moon-lit wave that ripples across the waters of our shores is filled with the energy of thousands of neighbors, joined together as one, yet all moving in different directions.

Some are running. Some are walking. Some are even using the city’s new bike sharing program. But WE, all of us, in this community we call home, are going somewhere. And WE, hopefully all of us, have finally learned that, unless we work together to solve our common problems, no one’s problems will be solved. If we are not all happy, or at least given the opportunity to be happy, then how can one person truly claim personal happiness? We can’t. We have to work together.

We must work together to keep our lake, the “gem in the heart of Dallas,” clean. We must work together to solve the traffic nightmare we call the intersection of Gaston Avenue and Garland Road. We must work together and support efforts to raise awareness and resources to help those suffering from mental illnesses, which directly affects the homeless population in our area. Those are just three of the “musts.”

You may be thinking of others as you read this.

I am not suggesting anything people aren’t already doing. I am only suggesting we do it more, together. Because together, we can make Dallas as radiant as a rare super blue blood moon.

God bless, you all; God bless, East Dallas; and God bless, America!