They say a writer should write about what they know, which is why I write mostly about what happens in my little corner of the world; and I know a little about hometown pride. Ripley was always my home, no matter where I happened to be living at any given time. Ripley was where my heart was, and I was proud to tell people I grew up in a little village in western New York – “no, not near New York City which is 400 miles away” (forgive the estimated distance, I’m not even sure how far NYC is from us, guess it depends on which route you take to get there) – in a very rural agricultural setting. However, I am painfully aware that some folks in neighboring towns, even some who have lived their whole lives in Ripley, view the town with distain. When I moved home some people asked my why would I want to move back here!
Now, I don’t pretend to understand the politics and factions that exist in Ripley. In fact, I don’t care to know. I’d rather go merrily along in my ignorance of who the “right” or “wrong” people are. What I do know is that it is the people in any town or city that make it what it is, both the good and the bad. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some people in this town who exemplify what “hometown spirit” is all about. These are men and women who are so filled with pride in their community that even though they recognize the drawbacks and foibles, they are willing to put forth herculean efforts to make it a better place. These are men and women, who even though the population is declining, continue to run their businesses year after year in the face of a disastrous economy. These are people who organize and build monuments, and parks, and playgrounds and civic pride. There are people in this town who never left; some because they couldn’t, some because they had no desire to be anywhere else. Then there are folks who came here for whatever reason, made it their home, and contributed what they could to the community. We’re all part of the fabric of what makes us unique.
I have heard it said Ripley is a dying community. The center of our social activity, the school, is in imminent danger of ceasing to exist as we know it. It is understandably upsetting to face the loss of this icon of our existence. What happens to it remains to be seen. I’ve heard it asked, without the school what do we have? Granted, we don’t have much in the way of gathering places, no bowling alley, no movie theater, and no book stores. But what we do have is a library that is underutilized and yet utterly devoted to benefit us all. There are several events planned each month by our library board, from computer classes to “dinner theater” to lectures given by local notables. The face of our town is changing, and we need to change with it. Folks, we have each other. Get involved. Volunteer your time to our many organizations, be it the fire department, the Veteran’s Roll of Honor committee, the library, or any of the many other endeavors that exist here for the benefit of the town and US. Be a part of your community. Be proud.