Right about now, the world could benefit from Mayor Bob.
Over the Christmas and New Year’s break, I have been going through some of the accumulated stuff around our house, putting it through the “keep or toss” test. In a box of documents from my first year in Sedalia were real keepers: copies of two editions of the Democrat, April 25 and April 26 of 2009. The papers document the passing of Sedalia Mayor Bob Wasson and the impact he had on the community.
Wasson, 75, died April 24, 2009, after a yearlong battle with brain and colon cancer. Preceding his passing, he served as the city’s mayor for seven years, all throughout making the Energizer Bunny look like a slacker. Even when his disease robbed him of stamina, Wasson kept going, attending community events and building coalitions to make Sedalia a better place to live, work and play.
As I read through reporter Sarah Nail’s thorough stories about Wasson and his legacy, I was struck by how much we could use more leaders like Mayor Bob today at the state and national levels. With the current political landscape littered with peacocks and posers, what we need are elected officials who put resident and community needs and advancement above party pettiness and personal aggrandizement.
Then-City Councilman Les Harrell told Nail that Wasson “always had a greeting for everyone no matter what, no matter how your vote went the two weeks before. He had a great respect for the members of the council.” Wasson understood that public policy comes with differing points of view, but those rifts should not create divides that keep the body from doing what is best for constituents. A community’s leaders set the example for dialogue and decorum.
Joleigh Melte, the executive administrative assistant for Mayor Steve Galliher and City Administrator Gary Edwards, held the same position when Wasson was in office. She said then: “Mayor Wasson spoke of living life ‘with an attitude of gratitude’ and he constantly put those words into action. I was shown that it’s OK to strive for more for yourself, for your kids, even for your city. But that it’s also good to be thankful for the gifts of life and freedom we experience today.” Strive for personal and community advancement, but be humble in the process – truly admirable strategy that we all could benefit by following.
The day after Wasson’s passing, reaction flowed into the Democrat from local and state officials, residents and the paper’s collection of regular columnists: Rhonda Chalfant, Travis McMullen, Rose Nolen, Richard Parkhurst and yours truly. Chalfant wrote that Wasson understood “the enormity of the task of creating a better city.” McMullen added, “He was Sedalia’s mayor and nobody can accuse him of doing it for the money or the glory. He wanted to see this town thrive and flourish.”
I stand by my comments that I am a better person for having known Wasson, even for just a matter of months. Reading through the stories and commentaries from 2009, I was struck by the promise of public service. Parkhurst’s column closed with a thought that we can only hope is the guiding directive for public servants and all residents:
“Let’s pray we all have learned from (Wasson) and will carry on his legacy of fairness and compassion for our fellow man.”
