County Commission | The Magazine May 2019 | Page 6

T HE
C O U NT Y
S o n n y Br a s Th el d
E x e c uti v e Dir e ct or
Of T ur k e y
H u nt er s
a n d C o u nt y
C o m mi s si o n er s
F or g etti n g F ail ur e s
i n P ur s uit of t h e
M a gi c al M or ni n g
w h e n E v er yt hi n g
G o e s J u st Ri g ht
6 | M AY 2019
LI N E
A
t s u nrise o n E aster m or ni n g
of t his ye ar, I w as i n t he
c o u nt y c o m missi o n district
of m y frie n d C h arlie Sa n ke y a n d
b ac k i n m y us u al s p ot f or t he
w or ds of Re v. Jere m y Pri d ge o n i n
M o nt g o mer y b y t he ti me C h arlie
fi nis he d deli veri n g his ser m o n t h at
m or ni n g.
I s pe nt t he first m o me nts of t h at
be a utif ul s pri n g d a y d oi n g w h at I
m ost e nj o y d oi n g o n a n y be a utif ul
s pri n g m or ni n g — tr yi n g t o
u n derst a n d a n d pre dict t he acti o ns
of t he E aster n Wil d Tur ke y. It’s a n
a fflicti o n n urt ure d t hr o u g h dec a des
of s olit u de i n t h ose fe w, i ns piri n g
m o me nts w he n ni g htti me gi ves w a y
t o s u nli g ht a n d y o u feel a bit cl oser
t o t he i m p ort a nt t hi n gs i n life.
It’s o ne of t he blessi n gs of
t he r ole I pl a y b ac k i n t he “re al”
w orl d. The d ail y de m a n ds of t h at
j o b act u all y hei g hte n t he nee d f or
distr acti o n a n d are a vi vi d re mi n der
t h at t here are s o me t hi n gs m ore
i m p ort a nt t h a n f or gi n g p u blic
p olic y or se arc hi n g f or a ns wers i n
bl ac k b o o ks t h at h a ve gi ve n w a y t o a
se arc h e n gi ne o n t he i nter net.
F or m ore t h a n 3 0 ye ars, t h ose
s pri n g m or ni n gs h a ve hel pe d re-
e ner gize a n d ref oc us me f or t he
c h alle n ges t h at a w ait i n d o w nt o w n
M o nt g o mer y. I n t he s pri n g, t h ose
c h alle n ges al m ost al w a ys me a n
le gisl ati ve c hess- pl a yi n g, a n al ysis of
o pti o ns a n d atte m pts t o i ns pire t he
me m bers hi p t o acti o n o n m atters
t h at i m p act t he citize ns of Al a b a m a.
F or getti n g a b o ut t h ose t hi n gs f or a
fe w mi n utes is t he best t her a p y o ne
c a n b u y.
I n t h ose m o me nts al o ne, t he
rit u al is a ti me t o c o u nt o ne’s
blessi n gs, t o test o ne’s a bilit y t o t hi n k
o n o ne’s feet a n d t o see k i n n o vati ve
s ol uti o ns t o t he pr o ble ms at h a n d.
Th ose a bilities are als o usef ul b ac k i n
M o nt g o mer y — a n d i n c o urt h o uses
t hr o u g h o ut t he st ate.
C o u nties c o nti n ue t o str u g gle
wit h a ge ner al p u blic t h at d oes n’t
u n derst a n d t he re al p o wers
a n d li mit ati o ns of t he c o u nt y
c o m missi o n. It’s tr ue; m ost pe o ple
o nl y see t he r ole of t heir c o u nt y
c o m missi o ner t hr o u g h t he le ns
of t heir i n di vi d u al w a nts a n d
c o m pl ai nts.
Tr yi n g t o m a ke i m pr o ve me nts at
t he l oc al le vel is m uc h li ke f aci n g o ff
wit h t he t ur ke y o n his h o me t urf —
m ost of t he ti me y o u fi n d y o urself
se arc hi n g f or a ns wers t o w h at we nt
wr o n g w hile dri vi n g b ac k h o me at
e xcessi ve s pee ds. The di ffic ult y of
s uccess c a n, a d mitte dl y, m a ke t h ose
r are m o me nts of acc o m plis h me nt
me a n all t he m ore.
S uc h is t he c ase f or b ot h t ur ke y
h u nters a n d c o u nt y c o m missi o ners,
I t hi n k.
W he n I first c a me t o t he
Ass oci ati o n, a n d be g a n s h o wi n g u p
at t he o ffice i n c a m o a n d b u g s pr a y,
f or mer e xec uti ve direct or B u d d y
S h ar pless w a nte d t o he ar e ver y det ail
of t he d a y’s h u nt. L ater, I re alize d
t h at m y st ories were act u all y his w a y
of e nj o yi n g a fe w mi n utes a w a y fr o m
M o nt g o mer y — wit h o ut h a vi n g t o
act u all y get u p i n t he mi d dle of t he
ni g ht or ris k ste p pi n g o n a s n a ke.
I h a ve n o i de a h o w m a n y s pri n g
m or ni n gs I h a ve s pe nt first i n t he
w o o ds a n d t he n at t he o ffice o n
N ort h Jac ks o n Street — b ut t he
de m a n ds of t he p ositi o n a n d t he
e nj o y me nt of t he h u nti n g e x perie nce
h a ve bee n gre at c o m ple me nts. At
t he e n d of t h ose d a ys s pe nt dri vi n g,