Jeff Owens wrote:
> People who actually
> live in the country and embrace it are rare.
Because I moved here to live a country life, I've always had a hard time
understanding why so many of my rural and small town neighbors desire
"growth." The new four-lane highway and the McDonalds that come with it
are welcomed with enthusiasm. The governor came to dedicate a bypass
around a nearby town and fairly gushed about all the jobs the new fast
food places would provide while the high school band played in the
background. Folks around here can now get to the mall in an hour and
quarter instead of an hour and a half.
It was a little unsettling to see so many Mennonites moving into our
area a few years ago and buying up farms, so many of which were not
making money for their more conventional farmer owners. One had to
wonder if older residents would now become virtual outsiders in their
own community. This has not been the case at all. Because most of the
new residents truly embrace a rural lifestyle, the result has been like
a blood transfusion. I now see them as the saviours of this farming
community, preserving many of the rural values we were losing. Still,
with the highway and all, time itself seems to have picked up speed, and
it seems there's no going back.
Doug Fields
