I don’t usually read the sports section of the Charlotte Observer, but the other day I stumbled upon an article that piqued my interest. It was about the Appalachian State basketball program. App State isn’t known for basketball, but this year fairly new coach Dustin Kerns led them to the NCAA tournament. The last time the Mountaineers went to the Big Dance was 2000.

What caught my attention was Kerns’s mantra: “Take the stairs.” In other words, he says, there are no shortcuts to winning. The analogy he gave in his interview was that 95 percent of people see a stairwell and an elevator and go for the easier option. But if you want to win, you should expect it to be hard. So you need to “take the stairs.”

April is always our Earth Day issue, and in recent years we’ve included a special Earth Day events calendar as well as Green Profiles —writeups on local businesses and organizations committed to reducing our collective carbon footprint. After reading the article about App State, it occurred to me that these businesses and organizations are “taking the stairs” too. I’m sure doing things the eco-friendly way is not the easiest way to execute a business or get consumer buy-in. That was even truer just a few years ago, when some of these businesses were getting started.  There are also many organizations and businesses in our area working to address the inequalities that have been exposed during the pandemic. Many have been focusing on these difficult issues for years, and we all benefit from their hard work. So to all these organizations and the people involved, thank you for being part of the small percentage willing to take the stairs. 

Wishing you opportunities this April to advance a cause that’s important to you. And happy Earth Day month!

Shannon