Behind The Scenes
– By #MillerSD
If you didn’t catch the performance of Annie last weekend, you really missed out. What a wonderful group of talented, local performers of all ages. I loved the show. I loved that people are bringing something different to our community. I loved seeing all of the people supported and enjoyed the show! I especially loved all of the hard work that went into the show that we didn’t get to see but I know was done.
The show got me thinking about the behind the scenes work that the audience won’t get to see. The fundraising, the sets, the rehearsals, the meetings, the organization, the auditions, the time, the list goes on and on. I appreciate this work because the behind the scenes of Annie is a lot like our work at On Hand.
No one sees the time we put into our community. No one sees the time we put behind the scenes of projects and business development and retention. No one sees the research for loans and grants. Something that no one sees is building all of the relationships. Our work here is a lot about building relationships not only in Hand County but in our state. We are constantly visiting with resources about how to get funding for projects, loans, and new ideas. We are constantly visiting with State leaders about legislation that will help our rural community. No one hears the conversations with leaders about how we can be better here. No one hears the conversations about people who want to start businesses here. No one sees the business owner who needs a loan for expansion.
So, what does our audience see? They see the finished product- the bulls on Main Street, Art Murals, flowers on Main Street. They see a new business come to town. They see people getting involved in our community. They see new organizations doing new things. They see Annie. They see new parks. They see people fixing and painting their homes. They see people selling their homes. They see businesses expanding. They see new signs and awnings. They see businesses selling to someone new. They see all of the show but not the behind scenes … On Hand Development.
Our work here revolves around the behind scenes stuff and that’s how we want it. We need people to understand that just because you can’t see us working on certain projects, doesn’t mean we aren’t there working. Economic development is one of the most effective things we can do for our community and yet it is often the least understood. That’s because we can't always say what we're doing when we're doing it. We need people to understand that it is vital for our behind-the-scenes information to stay there. We need people to trust us that it will stay behind the curtain. We aren’t actors and we don’t have to follow the same rules. The audience doesn’t need to see our work. The show will be better if they don’t!
Both behind the scenes and the actors are equally important for a great show. We are looking forward to many more shows in Hand County. If you want to get involved in the behind-the-scenes work, let us know because we can always use more volunteers to make things happen behind the scenes.
Last Modified: