Someone recently asked me what the Chamber of Commerce is doing to promote shopping local the weekend after Thanksgiving. My response may have seemed a bit sarcastic, but it was true. We didn't do much to promote buying local on the weekend after Thanksgiving, because we promote shopping in Grant County 365 days of the year. It's not just about one or two days a year. You see… we understand that local businesses need local people to shop locally every chance they get… each day of the week, every week of the year. Time and time again we promote and discuss the importance of supporting businesses in Grant County, and the gross receipts revenue it brings in to local government to be used to give you, the local citizens, the services you demand from local government.

Believe me, I understand that you cannot shop for all your needs in Grant County. Heck, look at me. There aren't a whole lot of places in Grant County to shop for big and tall. But we promote the idea of, if you can buy it here at a reasonable price… buy it here!

Moving along. I turned 60 this week. It's a great week. It seems AARP is sending me more stuff trying to get me to join. If I decide to go to the Golden Corral in Las Cruces I can now get the Senior Citizen Discount. My insurance company, my local surgeon, and my dentist's office sent me birthday cards. I even got some pretty nice coupons via email. So how did I celebrate? Drinking a gallon of some pharmaceutical concoction that gets you ready for a colonoscopy the following day. No cake… no steak… nothing I would have normally celebrated with. Just the gallon of medical juice and lots of chicken broth. So why I am I mentioning something so personal as a colonoscopy? Because it can be pretty important to some people.

Back in 2011, I turned down a chamber of commerce job in Kerrville, Texas. About two weeks later, during a routine doctor's visit I suggested having a colonoscopy since I was turning fifty, and there were incidents of cancer among my immediate family. It was sort of a fluke that I did this. No doubt, if I had taken the job in Texas I would not have had the colonoscopy… and I would not have learned that I had Stage 3 Colon Cancer. I had no symptoms that anything was wrong. I felt great… life was good. And the cancer was a total surprise. So, this is the second colonoscopy I have had in Silver City, and if I am still here in three more years… I will have a third one at Gila Regional Medical Center.

So here is the reason I am writing about this preventive medical procedure that most people don't want to talk about – it can be a lifesaver. If you are in your 50's or 60's and you have never had a colonoscopy… talk to your family doctor about it the next time you have a check-up. It could be one of the most important discussions you ever have with your physician.

Now let's talk Chamber stuff. Our next Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting will be held on Thursday – December 7 at 11:45 a.m. in the Western New Mexico University Student Cafeteria Sunset Room. Our guest speaker will be New Mexico State Representative Rebecca Dow. Representative Dow will give us an update regarding committee meetings she has been involved with between sessions, as well as giving a forecast of the upcoming 2018 legislative session. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.

The cost of the lunch meeting is $15.00 per person. You must register in advance. You can register and pay online at http://www.silvercity.org/events/details/december-chamber-of-commerce-lunch-meeting-1063 or call the Chamber of Commerce office at (575) 538-3785.

We believe… it's important to shop locally. It is important that you stay healthy. And it is important that you stay aware of what is happening politically in New Mexico, and how it effects our State.