Dust yourself off and start again

More than a week has passed, but the pain is still very real.
Disappointment hurts.
And Dunkirk had every reason to be disappointed when it was edged out by North Liberty as the small town selection for Indiana’s Stellar Communities program.
So many people believed so strongly that Dunkirk’s proposal was unbeatable that it has been hard to shift gears so suddenly.
But competition is tough.
And if you really believe — as Dunkirk’s leaders do — that this is a community on the verge of something special, you don’t give up, go suck your thumb or feel sorry for yourself when you happen to finish number two.
What you do is:
•Take a look at your strengths and build on them. Dunkirk’s Stellar Communities package had enormous things going for it. The city is way ahead of the game when it comes to the nuts and bolts of infrastructure. Its water plant has been upgraded, its sewage treatment plant has been upgraded and its sewers have been separated. In Midwestern America, where issues like that are a perennial concern, Dunkirk is out in front.
•Take a moment to applaud what made Dunkirk’s bid special. That would be the Dunkirk Investment Group. Throughout the process, local officials pointed to the involvement of private investors who have stepped up to tackle challenging problems out of a sincere commitment to their community. That should never be taken for granted. In fact, it may have been the strongest part of the city’s proposal.
•Prioritize the plans. There’s been no shortage of planning in Dunkirk over the past dozen years. But when all those plans were bundled together as they were in the Stellar Communities bid, they didn’t always seem cohesive. All of the goals — revitalized downtown, new library in the old Stewart Building, senior citizen housing, blight removal, new home for the Glass Museum, decorative lighting, renovating the interior of the old rail depot — are worthy, all of them. But without the windfall of assistance that Stellar represented, they need to be sorted out. Not re-thought or re-planned, but prioritized. Which project is manageable? Which should be addressed first? How do we move forward?
•Congratulate yourself for finishing second. No other town in Indiana reached that far. It is — though it may not feel like it at the moment — something to be proud of. Very proud of.
None of that will immediately erase the disappointment. But thumb-sucking is a loser’s game, and Dunkirk’s not a loser.
It’s time to shove disappointment aside, stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to work.
The plans make sense. It’s time to follow the plans. — J.R.