Such is the case right now. It’s not meant to be political and definitely not negative. So please, if you have a comment, keep it positive. We could all use a little more positivity in the world right now.

Back in 1998, during the ice storm, I was Wilmington town supervisor. Although it was over 22 years ago, I recall it as if it was yesterday. It was a scary time. Maybe not as frightening as a global pandemic, but it was filled with its own challenges. I can remember worrying about my friends and neighbors.

Taking care of each other was everyone’s number one priority. We all worked as a team. We worked together then much like we are right now.

Our Wilmington crew worked together like never before. We were sheltered from the outside world and knew we had to pull together to get things done.

I also remember getting help from an unlikely source — the NYPD. That’s right, the New York City Police Department. We had over 20 of New York’s finest stationed right here in Wilmington. As supervisor, I had the pleasure of working with them daily. Their passion for helping us left a lasting impression on me. We worked, we ate and we got through things together as New Yorkers.

During that time, there was no downstate, no upstate. We were together as one state then as we should be now.

I write this because my personal feeling is everyone needs to choose their words more carefully — including myself. I would never want our friends from NYC to think we don’t care. Because we all do. We care deeply.

When we call for things like a moratorium on short-term rentals, it’s not that we want to be isolated. It’s because we know all too well that this virus has no boundaries. We know our own limitations. We may be “Adirondack Strong,” but individually we have been around long enough to know our own limited resources in times like this. We know if the COVID-19 gets as bad as some suggest that we would not be able to assist our visitors on top of our residents.

Adirondackers are the first to step up in hard times and have huge hearts. We also like to be asked for help — not told. When words like “seized” and “National Guard” are used in times like this, emotions tend to run high. Words do matter.

I have no doubt our state will get through this pandemic. I’m writing all this to say the best way is for all of us to work together and realize we all have the same goals of keeping our friends and family safe. And this applies to every corner of our state.

(Roy Holzer is the town of Wilmington supervisor.)