ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

I received a very unusual inter-company email the other day; I use the term “unusual” not because the point of the email was peculiar, but rather because the call to action it recommended has been so infrequently necessitated by my experience in life as a Vermonter born and reared, with but a few years’ dalliance with locales more urban. I wrote “unusual” but I meant “disturbing”. You see, the employees here at Rock of Ages were alerted to the presence of a man labeled “suspicious” who’d been seen lurking about the employee parking lots during the workday, presumably to nab some valuables left to his mercy by an unlocked car door.

 Concerned, I rushed out to my vehicle to see if my iPod containing all of my Lady Gaga downloads was still mine. Opening the door, I discovered it safely in the console; an unimpeded sigh of relief rushing through my throat and charging out my mouth. But despite momentary joy, I felt diminished as a human and as a Vermonter. “Why?” you ask. I’m saddened because I grew up in a time and in a place when and where house doors were left unlocked, let alone car doors. Vermonters are known for their honesty and for their trusting nature. When for example, we suggest to a visitor who has meandered into the Cut-In-Stone Center while on the way to observe the artisans in the factory, that he may choose a stencil and learn how to sandblast without a ticket and to let the folks at the Visitors Center know later, we are often met by incredulity. We say “This is Vermont and we trust people; it’s the Vermont way.” And in every instance a smile appears and a meaningful connection is made with a fellow human being. (And for those wondering, I could count on one hand those who never paid. In fact, I got a check after the fact this summer from a dear woman who said her son had sandblasted a tile without a ticket and they’d gotten so caught up in our tour, they forgot to pay. Check enclosed with their kind acknowledgement of a fun, family outing had here at Rock of Ages.)

 It bothers me that as the economy continues to slide that dishonesty has gained an inroad, no matter how slight compared to many other areas of the country, into my beloved Vermont. But it is not just the reputation of Vermont that suffers when someone attempts to pilfer that for which they have not labored. No, the whole of humanity is diminished by such wanton disregard for the rights and property of another. So what do we do? Should we rail and fume and fuss?  Well, maybe just for a moment, but then we need to brush it aside. Oh, not forgetfully, but purposefully. You see what you look for in life. I can take the daily news only in snippets now; all that “news” can be down right depressing. Do I hide my head in the sand and suggest you do the same? Absolutely not! I challenge myself and each of you to redouble your efforts to live purposeful, meaningful lives, to continually point out acts of honesty, bravery, selflessness and kindness to your children so that they will model them. Never let evil run rampant, oppose it with every fiber of your being. But don’t make a steady, mental diet of it. Nurture your hearts and those of your children with all the wonderful things in life, and you’ll be rewarded many times over.