Anderson bids farewell

Joe Anderson provided this statement to the NHJ for his retirement from the City Commission after serving for more than six years.
I had a great teacher. My Father, Ocie A. Anderson. He was an Educator for 37 years, in Braman, OK, Pauls Valley, OK, and Blackwell, OK, his hometown. He was the Principal of Blackwell High School for 21 years and a member of the Blackwell Lions Club for 59 years. He was my loving Dad, mentor, and role model. He taught many by his example, especially me. He wrote some thoughts about his career as high school principal in a two volume set of the history of North Central Oklahoma, which I rediscovered recently and was amazed at how closely his feelings about his career mirrored my feelings about my tenure on the Newkirk City Council.
His words, “The honor and responsibility of being Principal of Blackwell High School brought many long days of growth, happy moments, accomplishments, joys, and feelings of pride. However, some moments of anxiety, deep concern, feelings of failure and rejection, but it was a good life which left me feeling that my life was well spent in fulfillment and accomplishment.”
Now, as I “retire” from the Newkirk City Council, I find that I have some similar feelings and I say, “This honor and responsibility brought some long days of growth, happy moments, accomplishments, and feelings of pride.  However, there were also  moments of anxiety, sleepless nights, deep concern, feelings of failure and rejection, but it has been a good experience that has left me feeling that the time I spent serving this community on the City Council has been well spent.”