There were days this past winter when I wondered, aloud, if perhaps I had been mistakenly born in the wrong place; more specifically the wrong climate. As temperatures plummeted I entertained thoughts that surely I was meant to be living in the Mediterranean or at least some place where shorts and sandals didn't need to live so many months at the back of the closet.
I often think about those who were here generations ago and what life was like for them. We have central heating in our homes and winter tires on our vehicles yet still find reason to grumble. Reading the accounts of those who came before opens our eyes to the incredible challenges they faced. Despite what certainly was a difficult life in so many respects, they did more than simply survive--they thrived.
The homesteaders of this area worked hard to settle the land and build homes for their families. But they did so much more. They saw the need for churches and schools and worked together to achieve their vision of community. That work ethic and commitment continued throughout each decade of the past century as goals were accomplished; a swimming pool, campground, golf course, hospitals, playgrounds, nursing home, recreational facilities, service organizations and more. There was no magic in these efforts. It took the focused commitment and hard work of countless individuals to make these things happen. They had the foresight to determine what was needed to create community and they put in their time, labor and resources to make these a reality. Their spirit, vision and willingness to sacrifice made it happen. And we are the better for it.
That vision and sacrifice needs to continually be reignited as subsequent generations take up the torch and determine what their community is asking of them. In my community there are a number of large projects in the works. All require a level of funding that has made, and will continue to make, fundraising necessary. In addition to these projects, there are all the other groups that need to be involved in money raising activity to finance their initiatives and programming. In any given month we are provided with an array of products and events to which our dollars can go. Over the last several years I have bought chocolate bars, cakes, calendars, daffodils, poinsettias, wrapping paper, popcorn and magazines. I have supported book sales, garage sales, silent auctions and dress-down days, and eaten more burgers than I otherwise would, knowing that the funds were going to important groups and special initiatives.
These fundraising efforts are important because they do more than raise dollars. They also generate buzz and give those leading the charge a chance to make face to face contact with those in support of the project and those who may have some questions to pose. It's these kinds of events that build spirit, energy and excitement for the initiative and this is vital in building community.
But one more thing can happen: we can place ourselves in the equation and recognize that we play a crucial role in helping current visions come to fruition. In the same way that we benefited from the sacrifice of those who came before, it is now our turn to do what they did and build and strengthen our communities for those who come after. It is up to us to carry on that spirit demonstrated so powerfully by them and ensure we are making our communities strong and healthy places for our families and that we continue to provide the kinds of opportunities we were given.
We need to put our money into bricks and mortar. We need to volunteer. We need to show up with ideas. We need to be willing to risk failure to see how incredibly successful we can be. We may not always agree with the direction a project is going but we need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our neighbors and respect the vision they have and ask what we can do to move it forward.
What began as ideas and conversation generations ago is reality today. What we generate as ideas and conversation today can become reality tomorrow if we capture the vision and carry the torch. What we do to invest in our town will ensure that although we may not always like dealing with the climate, there is nothing that compares with the community. That's my outlook.
