photocredit:  contagiouscompanies.com

BY: RACHEL SMITH

 

Rachel’s tired, folks.  This time of the year is a doozy.  The darkness, the cold, the fact that Old Man Winter has begun his journey to our area and will be arriving soon.  It’s all rather depressing.

And don’t even get me started on the germs.  Ugh.  If ya’ll have kids, I know you feel me on this one.  It’s like living in a giant petri dish from now until March.

So what does this mean?  Well, it will probably make for a good blog post; one of those real emotional ones where I wax poetic about how much I love Clear Lake.

I know, your favorite, right?!

As I organized the notes I’d taken during the Lake Leadership class last week, I soon noticed that one thing really stuck out.  I had written the same word down either alone or within a phrase twelve times: Cheerleader.

Be a cheerleader.

On November 6, 1869, the United States witnessed its first intercollegiate football game. It took place between Princeton and Rutgers University, and marked the day the original “Sis Boom Rah!” cheer was shouted out by student fans.

Now, I’m not suggesting we should line the streets on Main and chant “Clear Lake! Clear Lake! Clear Lake!” all day long.

Creepy!  We’d never get anyone to move here!

However, it does mean we should motivate our residents to take pride in Clear Lake and, more importantly, in North Iowa as a whole.  Because honestly, each individual town in this region has something different to offer, something that makes North Iowa, collectively, amazing.

We need to encourage progression, support our local businesses and restaurants and be an advocate in our school systems.   Let’s show them that our area has so much more to offer than just our awesome tourism events in the summer months.   Yes, it might be cold and blustery, but the fun never stops in Clear Lake.

Our Christmas by the Lake event is one of the best Holiday celebrations in the entire state.  The Winter Dance Party is a commemoration of Rock ‘n Roll’s past, as we pay tribute to our three fallen stars that will forever remain in the legacy of Clear Lake and the Surf Ballroom.  And while our summer transplants may not make the trek back to the area during the winter, we still get to enjoy everything this beautiful Hallmark community has to offer.

Because we are the ones who stick around all year long.  We are what make Clear Lake a great place visit, and an even better place to call home.

We are the cheerleaders that celebrate, motivate and rally for our town.