As a young person in today’s society, it can be frustrating witnessing people make decisions based on the past and present when you are the future.
Turning 18 is a big time of transition in every teenager’s life. It gives us our first tastes of adulthood with new freedoms and responsibilities, including what I consider possibly the most important: Becoming a voting member of your community which, as a resident of Marblehead, means attending Town Meeting.
Proudly called the oldest and purest form of democracy, Town Meeting is a revered part of our town’s history and culture, but with all its hype and the excitement happening in country-wide politics, it’s easy to forget that decision-making in democracy is often boring … and our town meetings are no exception.
Despite its monotony, I urge Marblehead’s younger generations to attend Town Meeting, if not to represent the future, then to at least practice surviving boredom at times — that alone is an invaluable skill to have.
I turned 18 last October, and my first Town Meeting had almost everything I imagined, complete with tech issues, topics flying over my head and plenty of audience dissent. It was a great new experience.
While I advocate for young people to stand up and voice their opinions at the microphones in the aisles, I’m also intimately familiar with our generation’s common fear of public speaking. If the pressure of speaking will only discourage you from attending Town Meeting, don’t force yourself; your vote is still your voice. Just remember that many people would love to hear from us and value what we have to say.
So, how do you survive your first, fifth, or 20th Town Meeting? Here’s my advice:
— Do your homework. While reviewing the entire Town Meeting agenda might help, most of it will fly over the average resident’s head. I recommend focusing on the articles currently causing a stir in town and the news and having some understanding of the options before going into the meeting.
— If you’re going to speak on a topic, pay attention to what others have to say. We often get tunnel vision when we have something to say and only focus on our thoughts. Many people might have the same point as you. Additionally, as William Shakespeare wrote, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” You have two minutes (not that anyone is counting). Keep it concise.
— Bring a drink. Sitting in the Veterans School Performing Arts Center as the weather gets warmer with 700 other people and no water will only leave you more desperate for the meeting to end than you probably already are. Bring a water bottle and don’t worry, making everyone else in your isle awkwardly shuffle around to let you out of your seat to use the bathroom might be the most exciting thing to happen all night.
— Charge your phone beforehand. Whether you’re checking the local coverage for an easier-to-digest version of what’s happening in front of you or doing today’s Wordle, there’s no judgment for being on your phone. If entertainment from your phone isn’t for you, other popular Town Meeting pastimes are dozing off or knitting.
