Recently, I’ve been reading The Little Engine That Could with my young daughter. Like many children’s books, it contains lessons that are just as relevant for adults as they are for children.
Most people remember the famous phrase, “I think I can. I think I can.” But as I reread the story, another lesson stood out to me. Before the train ever reaches the mountain, it asks other engines for help. Some refuse. Others are unable. Yet the train keeps asking until it finds an engine willing to help carry it over the mountain.
That story came to mind as I reflected on Oilton’s recent efforts to pursue a Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) grant opportunity.
While we were not selected for funding this time, I believe there are important lessons we can learn from the experience. One of my favorite sayings is, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Communities cannot benefit from opportunities they never pursue. Whether through grants, partnerships, volunteer efforts, or community projects, progress requires us to keep taking shots and keep looking for help when opportunities arise.
What encouraged me most about this process was learning that our community and park scored well during the evaluation process. To me, that sends a powerful message. It tells us that others can see the same potential in Oilton that many of us already see. We have strengths, we have opportunities, and we have a community worth investing in. The evaluation was not a statement that improvement is impossible. If anything, it confirmed that improvement is possible.
The challenge before us is not whether Oilton has potential. The challenge is whether we are willing to do the work necessary to reach it.
One lesson this experience reinforced is that grants shouldbeviewedasablessing, not a guarantee. They can help accelerate projects and create opportunities, but communities cannot depend on outside funding alone. Progress must continue whether grant money arrives or not.
At the same time, the goal is bigger than any single grant. Programs like TSET encourage healthy living and tobacco-free communities, but healthy living is not simply a grant category. It is a way of thinking about the future of our town. It means creating opportunities for recreation, supporting tobacco-free public spaces, promoting healthy choices, and doing a better job communicating the positive things already happening in our community. In many ways, the challenge is not simply applying again. The challenge is becoming the kind of community these programs are designed to support.
Another lesson I’ve been reminded of is the importance of teamwork. Whether it’s baseball, football, basketball, or even NASCAR, success is never the result of one person alone. Communities work the same way. A stronger Oilton requires elected officials, city employees, businesses, churches, civic organizations, volunteers, and residents all pulling in the same direction. Thankfully, that spirit of community involvement is already one of Oilton’s greatest strengths.
As I think about the future of Oilton, I often find myself looking at our community through the eyes of a child. Children don’t see budgets, evaluations, or grant applications. They see playgrounds, adventures, friendships, and possibilities. They see what a community can become. As adults, it is our responsibility to make sure those possibilities continue to exist for the next generation.
Perhaps the most important lesson from this experience is that success rarely happens overnight. The little train didn’t stop when the first engine refused to help. It kept asking. It kept searching. It kept moving forward until it found a way over the mountain. Communities succeed in much the same way. We continue improving, continue building partnerships, continue seeking opportunities, and continue preparing for the future.
This opportunity may not have produced the outcome we hoped for, but it provided something valuable. It confirmed that Oilton has potential. Now it is up to us to demonstrate it. Whether that means volunteering, supporting local projects, promoting healthy living, or simply taking pride in our community, each of us has a role to play.
The little engine believed it could make it over the mountain. Looking at the people of Oilton, the opportunities before us, and the future we are building for the next generation, I believe we can too.
Oilton City Council, Ward 4 bbartonok@gmail.com