Change we can believe in — it was a slogan good enough to get Barack Obama elected president.

But it wasn’t the blue campaign signs that sent voters to the polls. It wasn’t even just the message Obama bled every time he spoke during the campaign.

It was his delivery. It was his passion. It was his undying plea that got him elected.

“Ah, you’ll never change that. It’s just the way things are.”

That’s a common statement in small towns. To some, it’s practically the Natchez motto.

Maybe we should get some political signs, print up our favorite slogan and spread them around.

Then, we can all go back inside our houses, hit the La-Z-Boy and grab the remote.

And do nothing.

It’s gotten us this far, right?

Not exactly. Natchez hasn’t always been a lazy town of do-nothing complainers.

And it isn’t that now.

Sure, you can probably find five “it’ll never change” folks to every one “change we can believe in” person.

But change starts small. It starts with one. It starts with passion.

The Natchez Downtown Development Association recently invited a group of outsiders to come to town and give us their thoughts. The team — called First Impressions — toured our sites, talked to our people and tested our faults.

Then they issued a report. The group presented their findings to a small group of local citizens a few months ago.

NDDA and the city have plans to revisit the study after Christmas and make a plan of action to improve some of the negatives.

But the rest of us need not wait around for the formal meeting to get out of the La-Z-Boy.

The First Impressions study — though valuable as a roadmap — says nothing new. Its findings are things any Natchez resident could have told you, had you asked.

And the areas in need of improvement can be improved by you, Average Joe Natchezian.

If you own a house, a business, a plot of dirt or if you ever exit your residence and walk the streets, sidewalks and shops of Natchez, you can make a difference.

The first impression our community gives to visitors and new residents depends entirely on our residents.

We are either clean people or dirty ones.

We are either friendly or rude.

We either believe in change or we don’t.

Change takes patience. Obama’s supporters may learn that the hard way over the next four years.

And, for Natchez, it’s time for a few more Average Joes to make a commitment for the long haul.

We’ve highlighted a few local change-makers this week through a series of stories on the First Impressions study.

So far, you’ve read about Flavius Freeman, Bill Furlow, Allen Richard and Keith Benoist.

Later this week you’ll hear about Kevin Brodeur, Kevin Miers and Aaron Patten.

But these names are only a few of the movers and shakers in our community.

They aren’t elected officials, they aren’t club presidents, they are just people with a passion for change.

Are you?

Julie Cooper is the managing editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at 601-445-3551 or julie.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.