Heading into a new year, the Great Bend Tribune team has been thinking about the special sections to be published every Sunday at the end of January and throughout February. In newspaper lingo they’re called “progress editions” and many of our readers and advertisers have become familiar with the term as well. We take stock of the past year, current trends and expected developments in our communities. Often these publications have an overarching theme and that theme may be as simple as – “Progress.” 

However, 2021 hasn’t been a favorite year for many of us. Sometimes, progress came with forward steps and setbacks, as well as times where things were simply stalled. That may be true of any year, but two years of COVID-19 has certainly left us looking forward to something better. Our team brainstormed the 2022 “progress” theme and considered “resilience.” Ultimately we chose “Dedication,” which can mean many things: Hard work and determination, passion and devotion, the act of dedicating something, or an inscription or message dedicating something (such as a book or song) to some else.

Dedication to what we do and believe may be a component of resiliency if we are also open to growth. Connie Mason Michaelis, author of the book, “Daily Cures: Wisdom for Healthy Aging,” writes that “aging has a tendency to create ruts in our lives.” Dedication may mean holding firm but it shouldn’t mean getting stuck in a rut. Michaelis urges people to adopt a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Stay curious.

Our public schools are dedicated to teaching this. Great Bend USD 428’s mission statement reads, “Our mission is to educate and prepare all students to become responsible citizens and lifelong learners.”

May 2022 be a year of continued dedication and growth.