"My Thought for Today"
When Community Calls for Character
A while back, I created custom mailbox designs to celebrate our Quitman football team—something made with care, quality, and hometown pride. My hope was to bring a little extra spirit to our streets and neighborhoods while building something meaningful right here at home.
After a while, I noticed someone in our community copied those designs and sterted selling them to local residents rather than reaching out to collaborate with me. Many people chose the lower-quality knockoff over the original—made by me, with higher quality materials and honorable intention. I'm sure most did this unknowingly. I know the name of at least one person who had something to do with this, but at that time I did not publically raise the issue.
Let me be clear: I have no problem with competition. But real competition brings its own creativity. It doesn't replicate someone else's work—especially when the creator lives down the street and would've welcomed partnership.
Truth is, I would've gladly helped whoever it was get started and we could've expanded together—more hands, a show of brotherly love, more pride for Quitman. That's the spirit I believe in.
This isn't really about mailboxes. It's about who we choose to be when we think no one's watching.
In a small town, our word is our bond. Our integrity is our infrastructure. When we choose to counterfeit instead of create, when we choose cheap shortcuts over supporting our neighbors' or respecting their gifts—we weaken the very fabric that makes communities like Quitman special.
Although I experienced similar situations many times throughout my life, I still believe in us. I still believe in collaboration over competition, character over convenience, and lifting each other up instead of stepping over one another to make a quick buck .
Let's do better—together. Not because someone points out our flaws, but because it's who we say we are. #QuitmanGA #CommunityOverCompetition #IntegrityMatters #SmallTownValues #SupportLocalCreators
When Community Calls for Character
A while back, I created custom mailbox designs to celebrate our Quitman football team—something made with care, quality, and hometown pride. My hope was to bring a little extra spirit to our streets and neighborhoods while building something meaningful right here at home.
After a while, I noticed someone in our community copied those designs and sterted selling them to local residents rather than reaching out to collaborate with me. Many people chose the lower-quality knockoff over the original—made by me, with higher quality materials and honorable intention. I'm sure most did this unknowingly. I know the name of at least one person who had something to do with this, but at that time I did not publically raise the issue.
Let me be clear: I have no problem with competition. But real competition brings its own creativity. It doesn't replicate someone else's work—especially when the creator lives down the street and would've welcomed partnership.
Truth is, I would've gladly helped whoever it was get started and we could've expanded together—more hands, a show of brotherly love, more pride for Quitman. That's the spirit I believe in.
This isn't really about mailboxes. It's about who we choose to be when we think no one's watching.
In a small town, our word is our bond. Our integrity is our infrastructure. When we choose to counterfeit instead of create, when we choose cheap shortcuts over supporting our neighbors' or respecting their gifts—we weaken the very fabric that makes communities like Quitman special.
Although I experienced similar situations many times throughout my life, I still believe in us. I still believe in collaboration over competition, character over convenience, and lifting each other up instead of stepping over one another to make a quick buck .
Let's do better—together. Not because someone points out our flaws, but because it's who we say we are. #QuitmanGA #CommunityOverCompetition #IntegrityMatters #SmallTownValues #SupportLocalCreators
