Fort Smith Western Heritage Month coming up this May provides Fort Smith residents a link to our city’s past. The month’s events offer a time to reflect and celebrate Fort Smith’s history.  However, these events can form a common misconception that somehow this celebration of the past hinders the path towards a progressive future.  Quite the opposite is true.  There’s room for the two to coexist. In other words, it’s okay to dust off your boots and tip your cowboy hat in front of a mural downtown.  Maintaining a link to our past is one of the ways we move towards a better future.

My advice for Fort Smith’s residents is to find ways to be involved in both the old and new.  When we show an appreciation for both sides of the spectrum, we can lay down our differences and work together for the overall good of our city.  If that means participating in Western Heritage Month while advocating for trail expansion or supporting progressive ventures like Future School of Fort Smith, so be it.

Allison Kyrouac is a guest Blog Writer for ThingsToDoInFortSmith. Opinions, commentary and other blogs posted in this space are wholly the view of the author(s). They may not represent the opinion of the owners of ThingsToDoinFortSmith.com.