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Welcome back to The Bend!
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The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or
observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking
about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a
little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s
a project, a partnership, or a personal lesson learned. Signal Fire highlights a person, place, or initiative
that deserves some attention. And One Thought Worth
Sitting With closes things out with a brief reflection or quote
that will hopefully help guide you through whatever you may be dealing
with.
It’s part journal, part field note, and hopefully
something that makes you pause for a moment before diving back into the
current.
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“Gratitude keeps us grounded. It reminds us that
progress is rarely a solo effort and that the moments worth remembering
usually come from the people who walk beside us and not the milestones
themselves.“
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What the Current Pulled Toward
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This week, the current
pulled toward gratitude.
The VRPS Annual Conference stirred up more than I
expected: humility, pride, optimism, and a deep well of reflection. Most
importantly, it stirred up gratitude.
After leaving the public sector earlier than I had planned,
I wasn’t sure how it would feel to step back into that space surrounded
by so many familiar faces and shared histories. Truthfully, I spent much
of the conference in my own head: processing, grieving, reconnecting. It
wasn’t anything anyone said or did or didn’t do, it’s just how I’m
wired, I reckon.
I spent a lot of time
reminding myself why this work still matters so much.
Being inducted as the 2026 VRPS President, here at
home, carried a weight I wasn’t prepared for. It felt like both an
ending and a beginning, a chance to close one chapter while opening
another. From the energy of Earl B. Hunter Jr.’s keynote to the
thoughtful closing conversation with John Oney, John David, Maribel
Castañeda, and Pete Eshelman, I left reminded that leadership is about
service. Recognition and accolades are byproducts.
I’m grateful for this profession, for the people who make it
what it is, and for the opportunity to keep contributing to something so
much bigger than myself.
- Mike.
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The
Virginia Recreation and
Park Society (VRPS) continues to advance the parks and recreation
profession through education, advocacy, and connection. For more than 70
years, VRPS has provided training, certification, and a statewide
network that strengthens local agencies and elevates the role of parks
and recreation in every community.
Through programs big and small, VRPS helps professionals at
every level build both competence and confidence. Their work ensures
that the next generation of parks and recreation leaders understands how
to manage programs and facilities, as well as how to lead with empathy,
equity, and integrity.
I’ve seen
firsthand how this organization brings people together to share ideas
and to build the kind of trust that sustains a profession rooted in
public service.
The work VRPS does is humble, necessary, and enduring, much
like the communities it serves.
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One Thought Worth Sitting With
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This week’s theme: Gratitude.
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
- Marcel Proust
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