Saturday, January 21, 2012

neighborly

I confess....I just wrote my final installment for the local freebie paper.  The series had a few stories of moments when I really appreciated living in the region.  Hopefully, I'm not causing any copyright issues by sharing this.  I presume it will be in next Friday's edition (and offered that she could delete the parenthetical in the final paragraph if desired).  The piece mentions an awesome surprise this morning that totally made MM and I smile....

I'll also confess that I "lost" two followers yesterday and that I dislike being bothered by that.  It may be related to some shifts in Google's blog programs.  On the other hand, I am approaching TEN THOUSAND visits to my little rambly world (likely get there before the end of the month) which is pretty cool!
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I’ve been wondering how to bring this little series to a close.  I missed last week due to illness and also because I’ve told my biggest Bellefonte tales.  Someone gave me a great concluding moment today (writing with hot cocoa in hand on Saturday after the snow arrived), but I’ll get there….

In the end, the reason Centre County feels like home is quite simple.  It is cheesy to say but true nonetheless: It is the people.  This is particularly dramatic after a four year stint in Boston where I fell on the sidewalk more than once and no one seemed to notice.  I don’t think they were purposeful in continuing to walk when I slipped, but they were plugged in to headphones and just failed to notice.  During the week I spent in a full leg brace, people usually did offer a train seat when they noticed.  They just didn’t always notice.  There are good people everywhere, but there’s a level of commitment to being a community in our region that stands apart.

It’s really the smaller moments more than the big stories that make a place home.  It is the friendly chatter of the cashier and the “Get Well” wishes when I’m buying a basket full of cold remedies.  It is the fellow gym patrons who welcomed me back after a four month absence with smiles and inquiries about how I was healing.  It is the chatter in the physical therapy office about recovery and everything and anything else.  It is the residents lining the street back in the Fall for a football parade, dressed in team colors and staking a spot an hour ahead even despite a heavily losing record. 

And, today, as winter reminds us that it does still have some tricks up its sleeve, it is an anonymous neighbor and a driveway that was cleared while we hid under the covers with coffee and hot cocoa.  Thank you, whomever you are, for the kindness.  It was not necessary, but that makes it so much more lovely. 

An additional thank you to the Gazette for letting me ramble and to you for reading my musings.  I look forward to growing in 2012, finding a job that lets me further my connection to the community (can I steal a moment to say “Hire Me!” to any Bellefonte or State College employer in need of a hard worker with a fondness for the written word?), and becoming part of what makes this region special.

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