I attended the Annual Town Meeting for the first time last night. Not knowing what to expect, I was a little nervous. Was it going to be intense with compassionate speeches from the town’s people debating their causes and standing up for what they believed in? Not exactly. It didn’t go that far. It wasn’t even luke warm. The moderator asked the high school choir to sing for us the national anthem which set the tone for the meeting that ‘school matters’. As they sang and the audience saluted their flag with hands over their hearts, joy filled mine. Then we were introduced to Selectman Walsh’s words of wisdom to “think with our minds and not so much our hearts.” It went downhill from there.

Article 6 was the main reason that I was there. Article 6 could have been a chance at compromise. Article 6 states; to vote to appropriate $615,000 to the East Bridgewater School Department for the sole purpose of regular transportation services... “Sole purpose” those words came to be the difference between thinking with your minds and thinking with your hearts.  It was attempted by the people to ammend this Article 6 to have a compromise to use the monies $615,000 and split it up, $465,000 for transportation and $150,000 for maintaining personnel. It would have meant the financial decisions for the schools would be upheld by the school committee. It would have meant a compromise that could have taken the sting out of losing so many valuable teachers and aides. That did not happen. It could not even be discussed, although some tried especially one young man from East Bridgewater High School which spoke from his heart with a strong mind.

When we come to a place in our lives that we hear “think with our minds and not so much our hearts”, where is the wisdom in that. It is human nature to show compassion. Last night, there was none. Our human nature was silenced by the guidelines of “sole purpose”. In no other Article last night were the words “sole purpose”. It seems that this Article was written in such a way as to anticipate an amendment and to squash it down before it could ever bear fruit. We can be both, wise in our efforts to balance a budget and loving in our strengths to embrace and uplift those in need. I left the meeting last night feeling frustrated. It wasn’t because of the money. Let’s face it $150,000 is a band-aid on a wound that goes deep. It was the principle of the fact that there was no compromise, no compassion, and no voice for the people who needed to speak.  As John Adams once said; “There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” There was a sole purpose to my going to the meeting and I left searching my soul.