I’m sure the phrase ‘you see something, say something’ has probably been used for decades.

That statement took on added meaning on 9/11. The term was first coined by New York advertising executive Allen Kay, who came up with the phrase on Sept. 12, 2001. The phrase was later used by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for ad campaigns on city subways and buses.

The Department of Homeland Security implemented a call-to-action campaign called “See Something, Say Something” years ago to engage the public in protecting America through awareness and action.

But that slogan actually applies to any situation in life, whether it be in public, at the workplace, at school and even with family.

When you see something, by actually saying something - telling those who are able to take action - we help to protect ourselves, loved ones, and communities. Each of us play a very important role in not only recognizing, but also reporting suspicious activity. With many events that have taken place right here in Okmulgee County, perhaps early warning signs, happenings and even small talk - not gossip or rumors - should or could have perhaps triggered an alert citizen, parent, friend or person to ‘say something’ before bad things happened.

Yes, we are all very busy with our lives, our children, our jobs, school and much more, but it’s important to never be afraid to speak up if something doesn’t look or sound quite on the up and up.

If your ‘gut’ gives you reason to think twice about something you have seen, that could be a clue to something else.

If you feel uncomfortable about something you have seen or heard, - Say Something. Realize there is a difference between reporting and gossiping. By providing information, - either directly or confidentially - you may be able to prevent harm to others.

After thinking about that phrase, it actually got me mulling about adding an additional part to it. And by adding it to the total phrase, it doesn’t always have to be something bad.

‘Do Something.’ Why is that also important, I asked myself? Sometimes - and I find myself guilty of this ALL the time - the things we see, hear, and say something, may in fact be remedied by our own actions, which kind of goes along with ‘saying something.’

But, the connotation I’m referring to is just simple things. Over the last couple of days, I thought about how we could ‘do something’ for the betterment of our community, our family, and ourselves.

For me, I realized that it comes to one thing put yourself in that persons’ ‘shoes.’

I’ll use this example: That piece of trash that’s littering the sidewalk : Yes, I SEE it, and I SAID, “I wish people wouldn’t litter.’ But after thinking about it, I turned around, picked it up and put it in a receptacle, thereby - DOING something.

Yes, we see trash littering our neighborhood and streets and even lakes. Or notice a neighbor’s overgrown yard. Maybe, instead of posting, complaining and telling on social media, we could ‘do something’ - see if we can pick up the trash, organize a group of friends or neighbors to help do a clean-up event, or inquire if that neighbor may need a little help in cutting their grass?

Before we say something negative about a situation, a business, a person, or even leaders in government or other services, picture yourself in their shoes. You may not know the full story, or situation that is taking place.

For me, sometimes my expectations are placed so high, I don’t realize what’s going on behind the scene. If we take a minute, find out the details if possible, and if it is feasible, see what we can do possibly to assist or make their job easier or better, we all benefit in the long-run.

We may need to get out of our comfort zone - don’t rely or believe everything you see or read on social media posts. Experience things yourself, see it firsthand, and get involved. The more things we are involved, the better we are able to see what needs to be improved, and even add our own expertise to help with that improvement.

Yes, our water bill went up. Why? Go to a city council meeting or contact your councilmember for an explanation. Attend a school board meeting, join a community group, club or organizations. There are so many active groups in the area and one of those will surely fit you to a ‘T.’

Yes, we can SEE things, and SAY things (whether good or bad, and if deserved), but sometimes, it may come down to just DOING things, hopefully for the betterment of ourselves and the world in which we live.