The Case for Small-Town Optimism

A few weeks ago my son played a football game at the new field in Bloomingdale, and what a sight it was. The playing field with its college-football look, the new bleachers, press box, and eight-lane track, and behind us on the visitors' side, the sight of ball fields under construction which will soon add to the quality of the campus. Bloomingdale's facilities would look impressive in any town in Michigan, let alone a small rural community in Van Buren County. 

Last Saturday our family spent a few hours at the Gobles Fall Festival and the dedication of the downtown renovation project, visiting with friends and neighbors, and the business men and women of our city. There were kids everywhere, from babies in strollers to the young men and women of the high school National Honor Society, and our crisp and impressive marching band. The streets and sidewalks looked great, the event was well-planned and festive, and the whole experience that afternoon was the best of small-town America. Honestly, how many communities can boast of having a local vet who sounds like James Taylor, and even looks a bit like him, too? 

The construction and renovation in these two small towns is a great case for optimism. When a small-town or a small-town school invests public money, to the tune of millions of dollars, in such capital improvement, the message to all of us is that the future is bright. The message in Bloomingdale is "send your kids to school here: we will offer them our best." The message in Gobles is "shop here and do business here: our community is vibrant." Gobles schools and Bloomingdale businesses would echo these sentiments, of course, so the overall message is that life in our small towns, though still very much about tradition, is also about strong communities for many years to come. 

For months it has been easy to focus on hard times because the signs are everywhere. From newspaper and television stories of a sour national economy, to personal stories of neighbors out of work or struggling to make ends meet, to houses down the street that have been for sale for months on end, there is no question there are challenges at hand. Even pulling into the gas station in recent months has been an exercise in financial courage. But on the other side of those hard times is the message of construction and renovation, orange barrels and one-way streets: get yourself ready for new opportunities, and new reasons to live and do business here. Be a part of that bright future.

It was Henry Ford who said "whether you think you can, or that you can't, you're usually right." I am glad I live in a community that thinks it can, and I'm glad the community up the road thinks it can, too. The messages have been sent, and make no mistake these messages are invitations: Gobles and Bloomingdale schools need your children and your support, and the businesses need your patronage. If you give us your best, we will give you our best.

Despite the hard times across our county, state, and nation, and the challenges yet to come, take a look around. You'll like what you see. As for the future of our communities, there is good reason to be optimistic.

Note: This blog post is from a series originally published as personal essays written for the Van Buren County Advertiser from 2008-2014 by Corey Harbaugh under the title It's All Good. The It's All Good columns were written to feature and celebrate life in and around Gobles, Michigan.