Sharon Maybe I have such a warm spot for Freehold council members because I knew most of them when I lived there several years back for few years. Politics was never the important thing for them, it seemed just doing the right thing and wanting to help people no matter what they needed were the things to do.
They didn’t really care what party you were, they just assumed that as elected officials they always had to do the right thing. People like council president Jeff Friedman just wanted to work hard to do whatever he could to make Freehold better, more fun, just as friendly … and that was even before he got on Council!. And of course Annette Jordan brought with her to the council table all the wonderful dedication of all the Hawley family of Atlantic Highlands.
But truly, if there is any single backbone, any single dedicated person on this council who just simply can’t stop doing the right thing, being thoughtful or remembering old friends, it’s that wonderful lady, Sharon Shutzer.
Everybody knows Sharon!. Everybody can see her smile from a mile away it so lights up an area. Everybody knows how she loves her hometown; heck, she was born in Freehold and dedicated just about her entire adult life to working for it in some way or other.
She’s served on just about every committee the town ever has had, as well as on the board of education. And right, now she’s still on council, was its president three different times, and been serving since, well, the 20th century!
Yet she continues to be present for every event, every youngster’s birthday party, every Eagle Scout honor, simply everywhere where she is invited and folks want to see her. She’s active in her church, the First United Methodist, where she is also well beloved and hard working; former students from Toms River still remember the 8th grade teacher who always took the time to hear their problems or help them solve an issue. And she is up and running with her every duty as councilwoman.
For many years that I know about, Sharon has always said she does all these things, is all these things, believes all these things, because her parents always taught her the value of giving back and never taking more than you give.
I’m reminded this week about how very thoughtful, kind and generous she is, though I have not seen her in many months, and then only at a large gathering when we did not have time to chat.
But Sharon Shutzer takes time for anything she thinks will make someone else happy. And that’s what she did this week when she saw a brief article I had written in a weekly magazine we both enjoy.
With my name and byline, it wasn’t difficult for Sharon to identify me. And she probably did laugh and feel good seeing an old friend be in the spotlight in such a well circulated magazine.
But Sharon didn’t just read and enjoy, Sharon did the “Sharon thing.” She sat down and wrote me a letter just to tell me what a pleasant surprise it was FOR HER to see my little article. “I was thrilled when I saw your smiling face and read your words,” she wrote, then said how good it felt to connect again through my shared words.
Wow!
Thanks Sharon. You’ve just identified one of the reasons why I love to write. It’s when shared words can bring out more shared words, happy memories and appreciation of a thoughtful friend, that is all so much nicer and delightful to accept rather than the vitriolic rancor that those who disagree with my thinking so often spew out.
They write to make themselves feel good. Or important.
You write simply to share friendship, fun and kindness.
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Sharon
