Mayor’s Corner: Trust the process

Published 6:59 am Friday, June 24, 2022

By Leesville Mayor Rick Allen

Recently I was in Baton Rouge to testify two times, first before the Senate Committee concerning SB1 and then again before the House Committee on HB1. Both were in regards to identical maps concerning two majority minority districts.

After the two days and over 10 hours of testimony I can’t express how frustrated I was with the lack of unity and the sheer rudeness of people that we have elected to represent the people of this great state. Like always, I try to relate my political experiences to real life stuff and all I could think about was have I ever acted the way I saw these law makers in Baton Rouge act toward one another?

Well guess what? I sure have! And it was not that long ago.

It wasn’t in a public forum but it was in private to a young man that I love and respect, my son Maison. He just graduated high school and he is a fine young man that his mother and I are very proud of. But the last time I rode with him I was very critical of his driving. Slow down. Speed up. Stop. Turn here. Turn the radio down so I can see! (Whatever that means.)

Somehow when I’m not riding with him, he never gets fussed at, has never gotten a ticket, been in a wreck or any other kind of trouble. So, the other day I decided that I would ride with him to go pick up a motorcycle and I told myself that no matter what I was going to sit in the passenger seat and keep my mouth shut. As he drove the radio got louder and louder His playlist was Aretha Franklin, Slipknot, Hank Williams, The Eagles, Kirk Franklin, Amy Grant, The Pretenders. It was just all over the place but somehow, he just drove.

In the passenger seat I was on an emotional roller coaster but he was cool as a cucumber and we got the motorcycle home. The moral of the story is just because my way doesn’t look like yours, we might just wind up at the same place.

I pray you always be kind, always be patient and always trust the process.