May 28 Letter to Pocahontas Times
Dear Editor:
Only on Tuesday, May 19, did I find the time to read the May 14 Pocahontas Times. Therein was Pam Pritt’s very touching recollection of her growing up on Douthards Creek, her preceding generations and her hopes for those generations to come.
Her timing was remarkable because, for me at least, her story would serve as a prescient reminder which would allay the heft of two stories in the following May 21 Pocahontas Times. One was the story of Sheets GMC being issued “the letter” from General Motors Corporation. The other was the story of five more drug-related arrests by our county and state officers and our prosecution team.
Regarding the first story, I know Charlie and Carolyn Sheets fairly well. I set up their website a couple of years ago, SheetsGMC.com, and have done a good bit of computer work for them, as well.
It is always a pleasure to “drop by” Sheets GMC and do some work and waste some of Charlie’s, Willard’s, and Blix’s time. I so enjoy chatting with Tom, Dave, and Mike in the shop, and Robin, April, and Carolyn in the office. They are all such good people to know and share stories with. And I see so many others besides me drop by and do the same. Whether it’s a sticker, a car part, a new car, or just coming by to say hi, Sheets GMC is a most special part of Green Bank and Pocahontas County, an indispensable hub of community gathering and unity.
As for the second story, I’m also getting to know our new sheriff David Jonese well, along with our new prosecuting attorney Donna Meadows Price. I am moved by their dedication to the task at hand of protecting our communities from the drug problem we have. And I am not alone on this, as so many I listen to speak of what a great job they are doing. I see and hear it every day, and it is wonderful. And they have a great team assisting them, without which none of this would be possible. Assistant prosecuting attorney J. L. Clifton, the state police, the deputies, and their respective staffs.
So then, you see, there is all this weight. All this concern of loss of business and of community survival, even of just keeping safe. So it was good for me to recall Pam’s story, because it helped me breathe and smile a little easier in the face of all of this. Simply, as Pam says, if the work is hard, the reward is love. You see, there it is. That’s why Sheets GMC fights to endure, that’s why our servants fight to keep us all safe. For the love of all that we are and have here.
One day at a time are the memories and bonds of families and communities formed. These bonds run through our businesses and our responsibilities. These bonds are manifest everyday in the actions we take to serve, whether that be to keep drugs out of the wrong hands or simply to make sure your car is running properly. And right now, these bonds are being pressed upon by a seemingly unbearable weight.
One day at a time must we face these things, and as each day comes I want you all at Sheets GMC and the courthouse and beyond to know that my heart, my thoughts and my prayers are with you, as is my unfettered gratitude for all you do.
David March Fleming
Pocahontas County Commissioner