November 29, 2020
Kevon Martis
is feeling goofy.
November 26 at 7:46 AM
For the past 11 years, I have been heavily involved in fighting for sound energy policy and equitable siting of wind and now solar power plants. You may see the occasional post on my feed to that effect.
It is a ride I never sought to get on. It was thrust upon me by pure chance.
It is exhausting at times but also rewarding.
I have met so many amazing people across the country. We have fought together and, at times, with each other. We have laughed together...a lot! And far too many times, we have cried together.
And we have celebrated many times! Dozens and dozens of times!
While I would love to list all the people I am thankful for in this mad endeavor, the list is now far too long and I will leave too many out.
But I will stand on this statement: people who rise up and fight for their community without compensation and at great personal cost are typically the finest people in every community. And I am honored to know them, care for them and support them with the resources and talents with which the Lord has blessed me.
And while I am often maligned and accused of dark funding of some kind, the truth is that I AM compensated, but not with money.
I was compensated when I stood at the back of the Riga Township hall preparing to give public comment in 2011. Eugene Knoblauch took me my the arm and said "Speak for me Kevon, speak for me!" And I did.
And I was compensated in Indiana when one of my new friends there said "Kevon, you could get a flat tire anywhere in the Midwest and within a half hour, someone would be there to help you fix it".
And I am compensated whenever someone calls and says "We won our lawsuit!". Or "We won the election!" Or "They cancelled the leases!"
And I am compensated every time someone tells me "I feel so much better after talking to you".
And I am humbled when someone tells me "I don't know where we'd be without you".
It's never been about money for me. It has always been about people.
The first time I spoke to acoustics expert Robert Rand by phone, he asked me why I fight for my community.
I said "The Bible tells me that when someone is in need and I have the means to help, I should". And for me, it's that simple. So I do.
I am thankful for all the people I have met over the past ten years. And I am thankful for Karrie Martis who has stood by my side through all the mayhem.
And I am thankful that my gifts and abilities have been useful for something larger than myself.
And with that kind of compensation, who needs money?
I wish all my friends- wind, solar and otherwise- a very Happy Thanksgiving!