One of my worst fears is that I might write or type my name incorrectly and forever be “branded” as…you fill in the blanks.

My name was misspelled in black, bold letters on the front page of the Fountain Hills Times’ April 20 edition. Correct spelling is Iskyan. I forgive the editor.

Now that I have the readers’ attention I am going to give a lesson in compassion, decency, empathy and, yes, forgiveness. Goodness knows this town’s elected officials and entourage, with few a few exceptions, should take serious heed.

As the recipient of the prestigious Bill Bombeck Award, I am allowed to feel self-righteous. I have given thousands of volunteer hours, since 1999, to the Red Cross because this organization stands for principles, i.e.: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, unity and universality. Why not adopt these principles into all of our lives?

Let’s reflect upon ourselves how we show these qualities to others on a daily basis. Why not write positive letters about our own issues instead of accusing others in the paper or destroy them on social media?

This small town has a public image of nastiness. When we decided to look at a home in Fountain Hills five years ago, we read the Times online to get an idea what made the town “tick.” The big garbage collectors debate was raging. In spite of this idiotic controversy, we came to Fountain Hills.

Home buyers judge a town on many levels, including the social ambiance and kindness. I beg everyone to look within yourself and make a commitment to be kind to yourself, family, neighbors, residents and then to the greater “us.” Each one of us can make a difference to be tolerant and more understanding and make this world a better one for our future generations!