When I was growing up in Ridgeway, if you acted up in school, somebody was going to set you straight, and it didn’t matter whose class you were in. Your teacher, your friend’s teacher, the bus driver, the custodian, even the lady in the front office might call you out. You could catch a lecture before first period and another one at the Food Kitty or IGA later that day.
That was community.
It wasn’t perfect, but it kept us grounded and out of too much trouble.
These days, that kind of connection feels harder to find. Somewhere along the way, we stopped talking, mentoring, and showing up for one another the way we used to. I’m not saying we need to go back, but maybe we need to bring a little of that, “I care enough to say something” energy into today.
That’s why the Real Men, Real Talk event at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church hit me the way it did. It wasn’t a sermon; it was a space where men could be honest about money, choices, and relationships without the pressure to pretend. There was laughter, a few “man, I’ve been there” head-nods, and some truth that hit home. For a moment, it felt like what’s been missing: men connecting, learning, and building together.
Fairfield County isn’t short on good men or good intentions. We’re just short on connection. But that can change. We can start building a new kind of village, one that celebrates growth instead of guilt. One where men mentor boys, support each other, and show that real strength looks like discipline, consistency, and kindness all working together.
We don’t have to wait for someone else to fix it. The future is right here in the barbershops, the gyms, the churches, and the backyards where conversations start and ideas grow.
The next chapter for Fairfield County doesn’t look like the past. It looks like possibility. It looks like men showing up again, with purpose and pride.
Let’s write that story together.
