Small Town Bonds
In Hernando, Mississippi, the issue of small-town growth swirls around a proposed Wal-Mart. (What's that you say? You didn't know Mississippi was growing? Ah, but this is suburban Memphis.) The local paper interviewed me for a story that ran Sunday.
The reporter quoted me correctly. But just to provide context, when I said, "Some towns find a sense of community in [such a controversy]," I was saying that of the many stories around the country of formerly-small towns now booming, none provide inspiring stories of easy ways to either stop Wal-Mart or get everyone in town to embrace it. I suggested, however, that the towns that have had any measure of success have done so by using the controversy as a rallying point to identify, protect, and enhance what's valuable about their community.
Apparently people in Hernando (and lots of other places, for that matter) care enough to make this sort of growth an issue. But their first step needs to be proactive, not reactive. They need to identify what it is they love about their community -- obviously I have no idea what it is: farmland, architecture, historic downtown, wildlife habitat, clean water, or whatever. Then, in coming together to work on that issue, they may feel an empowered sense of community that makes up for the loss-of-smallness brought upon by growth.
What do YOU think? Drop a line to info@johnclaytonbooks.com. To receive these posts via email, write to johnclaytonoutreach-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. (You need not put any text in the message.)
The reporter quoted me correctly. But just to provide context, when I said, "Some towns find a sense of community in [such a controversy]," I was saying that of the many stories around the country of formerly-small towns now booming, none provide inspiring stories of easy ways to either stop Wal-Mart or get everyone in town to embrace it. I suggested, however, that the towns that have had any measure of success have done so by using the controversy as a rallying point to identify, protect, and enhance what's valuable about their community.
Apparently people in Hernando (and lots of other places, for that matter) care enough to make this sort of growth an issue. But their first step needs to be proactive, not reactive. They need to identify what it is they love about their community -- obviously I have no idea what it is: farmland, architecture, historic downtown, wildlife habitat, clean water, or whatever. Then, in coming together to work on that issue, they may feel an empowered sense of community that makes up for the loss-of-smallness brought upon by growth.
What do YOU think? Drop a line to info@johnclaytonbooks.com. To receive these posts via email, write to johnclaytonoutreach-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. (You need not put any text in the message.)
