Rural Missouri - December 2020 - 5

MISSOURI
RURAL

RM | PERSPECTIVES

Give a little hope

Volume 73 | DECEMBER 2020 | Number 12
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Jim McCarty, editor
jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
Paul Newton, managing editor
pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
Heather Berry, associate editor
hberry@ruralmissouri.coop
Megan Backes, creative director
mbackes@ruralmissouri.coop
Zach Smith, ﬁeld editor
zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
Angie Jones-Wheeler, co-op page designer
ADVERTISING:
Mary Davis, production manager
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
Editorial:
Rural Missouri
P.O. Box 1645, Jefferson City, MO 65102
573-659-3423 info@ruralmissouri.coop
Advertising:
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
573-659-3400
National Advertising Representative:
American MainStreet Publications;
611 S. Congress St., Suite 504; Austin, TX 78704
573-659-3400
Postmasters: Send address changes to Rural Missouri, P.O. Box 1645, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
Subscribers: Report change of address to your local cooperative. Do not send change of address to
Rural Missouri.
Advertising standards: Advertising published in
Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise that
the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and sold to customers at the advertised price. Rural Missouri and Missouri's electric cooperatives do not endorse any products or
services advertised herein. Advertising that does
not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading is never knowingly accepted by
this publication. The acceptance of all advertising
shall be in the sole discretion of the editor.
Rural Missouri (ISSN 0164-8578) (USPS 473000) is published monthly by the Association
of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, 2722 E.
McCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101, Caleb
Jones, CEO/executive vice president. Individual
subscription rate: $10 per year or $22 for three
years, taxes and postage included. Group rate for
members of participating RECs $2.22, plus taxes
and postage, paid from equity accruing to the
member. Delivery as speciﬁed by subscriber. If not
speciﬁed, delivery will be by periodical class mail
at subscriber's expense. Periodical Class postage
paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing
ofﬁces. Copyright 2020, Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives. Call for reprint rights.

Circulation of this issue: 570,751

asasasasasasasasasasasa

by Caleb Jones
cjones@amec.coop

here is nothing
better than driving home late at
night and seeing
Christmas lights. This
is the time of year that
the back windows of
my truck are covered in
smudges from Max and
Charlie pressed against
the glass looking at all of
the beautiful lights lining
houses. It got me thinking about why people put
up Christmas lights.
What's really amazing
is when you are driving
down a lonely gravel
road in the middle of
nowhere and see a house
covered top to bottom
with colorful glowing
lights and a big fat Santa
with reindeer scattered
all over the yard.
What possesses someone to spend countless
hours stapling light
strands, tripping over
From my family - Caleb, Lindsey, Max and Charlie - to yours,
extension cords and
wishing you all the best for the holidays and the New Year.
dragging out all of those
For them, this is part of serving their
wonderful plastic joy-ﬁlled statues on
community, friends and neighbors.
a gravel road that maybe 10 people
As we wrap up this year, I would
travel on a day?
ask each of you to do your part to give
When I see one of those houses out
out a little hope. Whether it's putting
in the country, shining like a beacon
out the biggest Christmas display on
in the night, I believe they are trying
the block, adopting a family to make
to give us a little bit of hope.
sure a child gets visited by Santa
Hope of better days ahead. Hope
or stopping by your local church or
for a safe family. Sometimes hope for
food bank to make sure someone has
something as little as a hot meal or
a Christmas dinner - it's the little
enough gas to get into town. Whatever
things that count the most.
it is, whenever it is, those twinkling
We are all blessed to live in a great
lights remind me that no matter where
country with wonderful family, friends
I am, someone is out there wishing me
and neighbors. That is what gives me
the best.
hope, and I hope you will join me this
Electric cooperatives are commityear in spreading it.
ted to spreading hope as well. This is
the time of year you will probably see
Jones is the executive vice presmany co-ops organizing food drives,
ident and CEO of the Association of
ringing bells for the Salvation Army or
Missouri Electric Cooperatives and a
one of the co-op bucket trucks hangmember of Boone Electric Cooperative.
ing Christmas lights at a local church.
DECEMBER 2020 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP

http://www.pinterest.com/ruralmissouri http://www.facebook.com/RuralMissouri http://www.youtube.com/RuralMOmag http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Rural Missouri - December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - December 2020