More high-paying jobs.

More affordable housing.

More bang for the personal property tax dollar.

That’s just a fraction of the smorgasbord of ideas about the city’s growth that were served up Tuesday by the record crowd of Holland and Whaleyville residents at the city’s community forum on 2018 Comprehensive Plan revisions.

But the words that were never spoken were equally – if not more – important.

We believe that just showing up at the meeting sent a message to city leaders and fellow residents: &uot;We care about our home and our community.&uot;

Today, in our hectic world, when most of us are juggling 10-hour work days, holiday preparations and the kids’ extracurricular activity schedule, it would be easy – and understandable – to blow off an opportunity to leave your little mark on local government.

It would be easy to justify skipping an extra meeting, easy to believe that your voice would still be ignored.

How refreshing it is to see that not everyone takes the easy route.

The residents who carved out time in their busy lives to attend Tuesday’s meeting – as well as those who go to any government-sponsored meeting – deserve a pat on the back.

Hopefully, the rest of us will live up to the example those folks have set.