“WE CAN EASILY FORGIVE A CHILD WHO
IS AFRAID OF THE DARK; THE TRAGEDY OF
OF LIFE IS WHEN MEN ARE AFRAID
OF THE LIGHT.”
Plato
We do live in strange times. There is a fear that has come with the virus that is but a reflection of what has been under the surface for a long time.
People used to laugh at others who prepare for dire circumstances. For whatever reason they were preparing they look pretty smart now.
We live in the Gypsum Hills and run a bed and breakfast. The closest store is 10 miles away and the next larger store is 30. We are just over an hour from Wichita. What this means is that we keep a pretty good stock of all necessities on hand all the time.
When this virus hit not only did the reservations all get cancelled but there were people from Wichita that came to small towns all over the region buying up toilet paper, bread, paper towels, and other things. The opinion of a lot of people has definitely gone in the trash.
We are used to thinking outside the box. We have been trying to figure out how the rural areas can survive under the circumstances. I have been active in the Chamber of Commerce locally (which is now defunct). Worked with the Main Street Program (while it was still functioning) only to have 3 people who never attended a meeting or training session shut it down, (soon after the Governor shut the program down).
We have an Economic Development group here that I have never seen in several years. I contacted the director and asked some questions. What I got back was a bit unsatisfactory.
What I have seen all across the country is the major factor on successful communities is ATTITUDE.
I and many others have for years spoken out against the moving of jobs and factories to China. All that got us was cheap junk, and no jobs. Now we have found out just how much an enemy has control of our society.
So now some people are waking up. Now is the movement that we have been waiting for. Companies and jobs coming back to the US. Well at least part of it.
I find the attitude is that ‘we’ have no chance of getting any of the production to our part of the country. Why? Mostly because we don’t try. The reason that I have been given is that these are too big of companies for us to attract to our region.
WELL THERE YOU GO! A self fulfilling prophesy. No one is willing to see if a part of what is coming back can be obtained. If it is not laid in our lap we will not seek it.
There is a group of farmers in the southeast part of the country who had tired of their cotton being sent overseas at a discount and brought home as finished product at retail prices.
They joined together and bought a closed cotton mill and started processing their own product and sell the product here without it going to China or Sri Lanka. In other words they took the bull by the horn and did it themselves.
This has happened and is happening all over the country. Yet do we think outside the box? Do we dare do something original? You will see the results in the communities that thrive and see those who wait shut the light off on the way out of town.
