Opinion: Blackwell could not ask for a better mayor than my mother, Julie Green

by Jordan Green

My mother, Julie Green, on Monday filed to run for the mayor’s seat for the city of Blackwell. If the people of Blackwell choose to elect her, they’ll have a great mayor. But what makes this candidate so stellar?

Here’s what you should know about my mother.

My mother is hard-working woman. Bringing up my sister and I was a challenge, believe me. Between raising the two of us and keeping my dad’s medical clinic in order, there’s no job she can’t do. She gets to work early, and she makes good use of her time. Taking care of patients is no easy job, especially during a pandemic. She puts her heart and soul into caring for Blackwell’s medical needs alongside my father. In October, she was appointed to the City Council. Since then, she has come to learn a great deal about our fair city. She’s learned about its successes, and she has learned about its challenges. If anyone can nurse a city to health, it’s her.

She’s a helpful woman. Math never came easy to me – that’s why I went into journalism. Growing up, however, my mom was always there to teach me and guide me as I completed my math homework. When she didn’t know something, she was able to learn it quickly and relate that information to me. If she can get me to grasp a concept, she can get anyone to. She has always been there to help folks whether she knows them or not. She especially loves caring for her elderly friends, showing her reverence toward them and gaining wisdom from them. She enjoys giving back to others. Humans aren’t the only ones she helps, though. She’s been known to care for a few sick calves. Raising cattle has been a mooo-ving experience for her.

She’s a sweet woman. She always has a beautiful smile on her face, one that can brighten up the room. She can make anyone laugh with a witty, well-timed joke, and she makes people feel comfortable. Even when she’s having a bad day, she has the capacity to make others feel special just by being herself. Her magnetic personality and warm spirit make being around her a pleasure. I can’t help but think of all the children whose lives she impacted while she was on a mission trip to Africa as a young woman. She taught English language in a Christian school there. That takes a big heart.

She’s a strong woman. Running a small business is no easy task, and when the going gets tough, my mom always finds a way to work through whatever problems we face. The coronavirus pandemic has hurt everyone financially, and it’s hurt people in the medical field, too. They’ve been worn down and out caring for the ill and working to stop the spread of this horrible virus. My mother has led our family’s clinic through this difficult time, bringing together our staff to care for our patients and our community as a whole. She leads our home, too. She is always a source of emotional strength and wisdom in times of suffering, which we have all endured. She is a shoulder to cry on and a beacon of hope. To possess both qualities is truly remarkable.

She’s a loyal woman. When she commits to a task, she finishes it. She faithfully attends church and finds ways to involve herself in our community. When my sister and I were in school, we could always count on Mom to help out with whatever activities we were participating in. She is committed to her community – as evidenced by her commitment to her family. She never falters in her support for us, and she shows us what being united with one another really means. Couldn’t we use a little more unity in 2020?

Most importantly, she’s a loving woman. Admittedly, describing love is hard. What is it? In my 20 years on Earth, I’ve come to define love as supporting others, talking with others, helping others, showing empathy for others, and uplifting others when they are down. I’ve come to this conclusion by watching what my mother does on a daily basis with my family. She pours her love out for us, and I know she’ll pour it out for this community as our mayor.

Our community needs a loving and caring motherly figure. Luckily for us, we have one right here in Blackwell – and she has plenty of experience. Our community needs a female voice in its leadership, and my mother would be an excellent representation of the fine people of this city.

Our election won’t be for a few months, and as Election Day approaches, I encourage you to become informed about the candidates running for various municipal offices.

To avoid any conflicts of interest as a journalist, I will not be writing news articles about candidates in the mayoral race. That’s why this column ran on the opinion page, and why any future columns about the mayoral race will also run here. As a journalist, I have a duty to clearly distinguish between news and opinion content, and that’s what I will do.

After all, I am biased in favor of my mom. No community could ask for a better mayor than my mother.

Luckily, Blackwell can vote for her.