A little pride goes a long way.
Most of us have that neighbour or family member who has had the same lawnmower or tool forever. After each cut or use, they clean it up and store it away. That’s pride in ownership.
For some this was a matter of never having much and being happy with what they did have. In this throwaway society, pride in ownership is less commonplace. It takes work and discipline. Let’s face it, plenty of tools today don’t last the way they used to.
There is a larger picture to this conversation – it’s called community. That is why we had the idea this spring to reward three groups for doing something extra for their community. Earth Day (April 22) seemed a good time to offer this challenge.
Our first-place winner was an interesting coupling of the local Maranatha school and the Fergus Lions Club. Along with cleaning up roadsides, it was a chance for different generations and walks of life to work together.
The more experienced in the group helped organize and the young people took up the challenge. We have a story on that this week which explains it better.
Another group from the Mount Forest area has spent years working in conjunction with several local groups. Trees and tree health are important aspects of communities. They keep neighbourhoods cooler, provide shade to residents and add to the natural environment that makes a community special.
Puslinch, not to be outshone, has numerous people working in concert to tidy up roadways and keep the township clean.
We added one additional prize for a local family that spent a weekend close to Earth Day collecting litter from ditches on the stretch of road near their farm. The work isn’t glamourous, but it needs to be done, and we are thankful to see that. Many hands do make for lighter work. People tackling roadsides and streets to beautify them for others is a noble task.
It would be a great accomplishment to see others catch the bug to make good things happen. Pride in community helps us all.
