September has been a busy time, but I end the month overcome with gratitude.

My second son was born on Sept. 21—my anniversary with Sarah. Mother, baby Beckett and big brother Bracken Jr. are all doing fantastic, with only the expected exhaustion, recovery and frustrations to deal with in the midst of the tremendous joy and blessing of a new life.

Pulse advertisers have really stepped up this year. Back in the spring, many business owners and consumers across the country had high concern for the survival of small business, but Murfreesboro business leaders have worked hard, banded together (sometimes from a distance) and gotten a little creative to keep the economy moving. Some have closed—as they do every year—though while the majority of Pulse advertisers could have chosen to discontinue their local marketing earlier this year, an impressive number of them have voted with their dollars that they want the Pulse to remain available for the community, and they want their message and business in there.

Once again, support these people. Visit Carmen’s Taqueria, Thor’s, Primrose Table and all of the fine Pulse sponsors. Ride the Rover, learn to fly with Murfreesboro Aviation, call CNB for your plumbing needs, shop at Sunshine Nutrition—these operations make the Pulse possible.

Come on out to the FiveSense Farm Band Fest on Oct. 4, an outdoor concert experience highlighting local musicians. Hop Springs continues its outdoor music series, and various other Murfreesboro establishments continue to keep the music playing—Van’s, Hank’s, The Boro, The Alley and others.

Trivia nights around town remain strong.

Wings of Freedom, presented by the Smyrna Rotary, was quite a drive-in event this year. Although the attendees did not stay and socialize, or even exit their vehicles, the cars lined up to pick up the fried catfish, chicken and pups.

The Mayos have some pumpkins from Valley Growers on deck and will soon turn those into jack-o-lanterns and soups.

Although the major sports leagues had a period of downtime in 2020, one of the cool things about this year was that it aligned so that NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA all played regular season or playoff games during a longer period of the year!

What a blessing . . .

In a fit of virtue, some had to turn away from the Pulse and let their friends know about it after recent articles containing some local voices that questioned the logic of government officials and stores asking healthy people to place a napkin on their faces.

Dangerous libertarian views, some say.

As can be expected, most of the loudest feedback from the most virtuous and outspoken was not based in reason, science or reality, but emerged in the form of personal attacks, half-truths and wild exaggerations after a media outlet dared to question the masking mob and power-grabbing government officials and offer an opposing viewpoint.

Since its onset, one of the missions of the Pulse has been to provide an alternative perspective. The mainstream news seems to travel in a pack, and there usually are some other elements at play under the surface.

I truly welcome reader comments and feedback. If you have some information to add, a different take on a subject, a fact that needs correcting or an alternate interpretation of a situation, send it on. But it’s hard to take the name-callers, half-truthers and fantasy-world dwellers very seriously, however passionate they may be.

Someone cancelling all interaction with the Pulse and refusing to look at the stories they like because of a few articles that contain a different political opinion than their own is like me refusing to enjoy a football game because I may have different views than some of the participants. I will not deprive myself of sports because I may disagree with some of those involved on unrelated issues!

Remember, if you deprive yourself from enjoying the Pulse because it may contain a viewpoint you disagree with here and there, you only punish yourself!