Many great things are happening in our community, but these positive aspects can get clouded over at times by negative or impatient attitudes.

What does it look like to practice civility? It means to think before speaking and to ask inwardly the following questions:

• Is it true?

• Is it helpful?

• Is it inspiring?

• Is it necessary?

• Is it kind?

We encourage our children to practice civility and to treat each other with respect.

Now we must all do the same.

The Choose Civility effort in Freeborn County is hosting several events this month to encourage civility among residents. Some have already passed, but there are a few more remaining.

Bukata Hayes, president of the Greater Mankato Diversity Council, will present from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Freeborn County Historical Museum about how to build a more inclusive community that can respond to our changing demographics. He is expected to demonstrate how important it is for us to understand others’ perspectives if we want to have continued success and grow as a community.

There will also be an event for children at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Albert Lea Public Library encouraging children to be kind to animals with the R.A.D. Zoo.

October is also National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Stamp Out Bullying Month. These are serious issues that affect family members  and especially our children. Can we adults live up to our own expectations we have of others? Let’s hope so.

Let’s choose to be truly Minnesota nice, not merely hospitable. Let’s choose to be a kinder community, a more welcoming community, one that outsiders can become part of. Let’s make our criticism constructive. Let’s seek to understand and enhance the community values. Let’s avoid territoriality and act more like we are all in this endeavor called Albert Lea together.

Because like it or not, we are.