It is impossible to single out one particularly viable and effective entity or organization in Livingston. The volunteer, the participant, each individual contributes equally, whether an elected official or librarian, actor or administrator, donor or patron. From the work with area youth in Manaia to the community meals served for free at Loaves and Fishes, so many organizations full of volunteers and supported solely by area efforts are equally effective in creating a true community spirit.
This has been a tough year for many families and communities around the world, in our country and here in Livingston. The Stillwater Mine laid off scores of employees, many area businesses scaled back—a few even closed for good. Each person in Livingston now knows someone who has lost a job, lost their home or had to scramble to make ends meet.
It’s no surprise in these leaner and leaner times that the Livingston community holds up pretty well. Area organizations report levels of funding equal to the increased need and this is a hallmark of our small town: we are here for one another.
In the years between the railroad pull-out and the growth boom of the early 2000s, Livingston pioneers and locals crafted a solid community here with the mixed bag of artists, literati, ranchers, farmers, families and loners. But the feeling in Livingston just a few years ago was one of anxiety over unbridled growth and prosperity. In this climate some of our small-town spirit began to erode. The perception of coming growth created a sense of urgency to preserve the way of life so many more of us are now back to living again, and many people in Livingston divided on to different sides of the fence as to what would be best for the community.
There is still a surprising amount of expansion in our small town right now. It is the indomitable spirit of the Livingston pioneer and native alike to survive in this West.
But no longer do we have the resources, energy or freedom from worry to battle with one another. Right now we need to be working by cooperating and understanding. We no longer enjoy the luxury of time to pursue efforts that produce no progress and only serve to intensify strife. There is work to be done, our community is stretched thin, and most of us are doing everything we can just to stay afloat.
Let’s focus on forward progress and the things we share in common: arts, culture, the spirit of humanity and understanding. Let’s make a reasonable agreement to enjoy each other on earth, and to respect one another enough to want to live in harmony, and watch the generations to follow us continue in harmony.
There may always be distress in our world. Each week may continue to bring terrible stories in the news as religious wars are waged and life on earth as we know it is threatened by man’s pollutant activity. Polarity may always be apparent in the debate over health care reform, the woman’s right to choose or not, and the now-seeming-eternal war in the Middle East (and everywhere else we may have tried our “Cowboy Democracy” out on other countries in the past two Bush administrations). But this is supposed to be the part in the epic action-packed blockbuster where the humans decide to abandon prejudice and realize they all either work together or fail together.
We can turn from the strife and discord in our world to the good in man and encourage cooperation to embrace the spirit which some may say makes us unique and human, and in celebrating this spirit we may be able to transcend our own realities of strife.
Let us celebrate the season of best intent, understand and work with those who we may not agree with (even the politicians, for they are volunteers, too) and give to one another peace this holiday season.
—Reilly Neill
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