A Common Good

A few years back my heart matured enough to develop a strong love for my community. Since we have never stayed in one place more than a year or two, it had been difficult to grasp this concept. However, after living in our home for 8 years, it is safe to say we are entrenched. We have made lifelong friends, our children are doing well in school, we love our neighbors, and our extended family lies just around the corner. Now that we have established our home, our most basic instinct is to protect it from any threat. Fires, burglars, storms, even the lowly grubs are some of the things we take extra precautions against each year. Sometimes we even find that we have to protect ourselves from our own best interests.

A few years back, industrial development came knocking to our little town. It came knocking with a big checkbook and promises to be a good neighbor. It also came knocking with hundreds of tractor trailers a day and warehouses that would slice 85-120 feet feet into our skyline. With the economy at a downturn, this tempting offer was hard to resist; and our local government invited this industrial vampire across the threshold, into our homes. Now anyone who has seen a good vampire movie knows never to permit entry; for once they enter, they will eventually take over. But I, and many of my neighbors, felt differently. We saw our blossoming, family-oriented community no place for an industrial nightmare; and we decided to dig our heels in for a fight. It took over a year of meetings, lawyers, flyers, door knockings and petition signing; but we finally won back the security of our homes!

One particular day, in the heat of battle, I was feeling especially frustrated. Our cause had taken some hard hits. We were running low on funds, and I had been receiving a lot of discouraging remarks from people that our goal was unreachable and we should just give up. I felt abandoned by our elected officials and the lack of interest they showed in hearing our arguments. I felt the need for some fresh air and to clear my head a bit, so I rode over to take a look at the land.

Although I have driven past it a million times over the years, this expansive plot of land had become more beautiful to me as the months passed. I grew up minutes from this location and remember a time when it was filled with cows and corn. The rich, soil always seemed to be bustling with farming activity back then, and it was a true reflection of what it was like to live in "the country". Over the years, developers came in and started snatching up surrounding plots of land for residential development. With each project came a community "sigh" over losing a piece of what our area used to mean. I gazed out over the barren field awaiting it's fate. Historic homes still dotted it's border, and although it's original splendor had faded, this empty expanse was still a thing of beauty. I came across several hearts surrounding the land that day. In fact, if you search the location on Google Earth, there is an actual bald patch in the center that is in the shape of a heart!

These hearts felt like a confirmation to me. Not as a sign we would eventually win our fight, but the realization of the love we collectively shared for our community. We became united, despite our diverse backgrounds, in order to protect our homes. We wanted to honor the promise our township made; that our community would not expand but maintain our growth in order to preserve our historic and cultural value. Through this goal, we crossed the normal social boundaries that divide us, and we came together as a family. It was a wonderfully frustrating yet satisfying expression of the power that people can possess when they are driven by a common good. Plus, it made me realize how much I love and appreciate my community and the people I share it with each day.

Now, when I drive through our township, I look at each doorstep differently. Former strangers have become friends, and our community feels more like a home that we all share. Beyond each fence lies a friendly face and the knowledge that when it comes to the most important things, we really have a lot in common.