Write a comment“Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” or so the saying goes.
The phrase was coined by Alexander Pope in “An Essay On Man” in 1732 but remains true today, nearly 300 years later.
“Hope” is the theme of the second of four locally-inspired community videos showing how Oswego County has become stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic. County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup announced the video Aug. 4 in his weekly Oswego County COVID-19 update.
“As we reflect on the peak of the COVID-19 catastrophe, the period when life as we knew it came to a screeching halt and even our usual sources for guidance and assurance were themselves searching for answers, the people of Oswego County never lost hope,” said Chairman Weatherup. “Almost instantly and day-after-day, we saw stories of our community rising up to lend a hand. We witnessed dozens if not hundreds of individuals, businesses and organizations who stepped up and found a way to assist the various protection and prevention efforts underway. Businesses large and small, first responders, medical practitioners at all levels, students, teachers, farmers and individuals of all ages and from every economic position within our society came together to rally around stopping the spread of this virus and helping those physically and financially impacted by it. All with that inner hope that together, we could overcome the challenges we were facing and that together we would persevere.”
The four videos build on the keywords of “Strength,” ”Hope,” “Collaboration” and “Perseverance” and demonstrate community activities defined by those words over the past several months in Oswego County.
“Most importantly, hope helps inspire our inclination to help others who are in distress,” said Chairman Weatherup. “It is one of the great human motivators, creating a sense of purpose during seemingly hopeless times.”
“Basically,” he added, “hope is the belief we hold during difficult times that things will get better. Stories of hope existing in people even in the most desperate circumstances can be found throughout our history. Hope helps us believe that a challenge or threat can improve and that there will be a better tomorrow. It provides us a shelter from pessimism and fear. It galvanizes our courage and mobilizes our energy and vitality.”
The videos were developed in partnership with the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency, Operation Oswego County, Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning, Oswego Health, and SUNY Oswego, and were created and produced by Step One Creative and Kyle Ridlon Productions.
“The community videos are meant to inspire hope, confidence and a desire to work harder together and come out of the pandemic with a united desire to continue to support each other going forward,” said Dave Turner, Director of the County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. “Our goal is to create an even better sense of community than we had before COVID hit us in March.”
The final two videos will be on the themes of Collaboration and Perseverance. They’ll be released Tuesday, Aug. 11 and Aug. 18. The videos are posted at undefined, and on partner agency websites and social media channels.
