By Sarah Moss, MPA | LinkedIn | Twitter
What I’m Watching — A Week and a Day by James Corden and Zach Braff’s boy band Boyz II Menorah and videos of 21 best modern Hanukkah songs selected by Time Out New York, especially 8 Days (Of Hanukkah) by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
What I’m Writing — Agenda and activities for a staff retreat I’m facilitating for a fun localgov client
What I’m Listening To — The Nutcracker Suite album by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, a fantastic jazzy classical mashup
A Visit from St. Knope
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the home
No one was stirring or snapping a #CityHallSelfie by phone
The stockings were hung near the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Lesley Knope soon would be there
ELGL members were nestled snug in their beds
While visions of “Treat Yoself” danced in their heads
I’d washed, rinsed, and dried all my #ELGLmugs
And set personal and work phones to charge on wall plugs
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Today wasn’t the pick up for city trash
My code-compliant sidewalk shoveled clear of snow
The TV still glowed bright with the Spin City show
When what to my wondering eyes did appear
But a miniature sleigh, Li’l Sebastian, plus eight tiny reindeer
With a rock star blonde driver so lively with hope
I knew in a moment she must be St. Knope
Faster than first responders her exclamations came
And she whistled, and winked, and gave shout outs by name
“Hey board members Kent, Joey, Samantha, Ben, Jordan, and Christian
Staffers Kirsten, Emily, Allie, and Halle, you poetic, noble additions
While you don’t make big dollars, you do deck the town halls
You’re the biggest #BigLocalGovBallers, better than waffles
And Alyssa and Javon, hosts of GovLove podcast
Your interviews of #localgov pros are unsurpassed
With empathy, innovation, and data, we have lots of strengths
Before public meetings, blast a pump-up song for great lengths
What I hear when I’m being yelled at is people caring loudly at me
Thank goodness for Engaged Public, ResourceX, Cartegraph, ProudCity, and Polco/NRC
Now hit the Oregon Trail and register for #ELGL20
Professional development, fun people, and cool schwag a plenty
And renew your membership in a few easy steps
Just point your browser to www.elgl.org on the Internet!”
Then giving a nod, up the chimney she rose
Pulled ear buds from a pocket in her clothes
I heard her exclaim, “Li’l Sebastian, you beautiful wild pot of flowers!
Merry Christmas to all. Do it. Fierce. Power.”