Advice for the cynics who portend the doom of Small Town America: Attend a high school graduation.
Because there you will see hope and dreams incarnate.
At Saturday night’s commencement ceremony at Moran’s Marmaton Valley High School, graduates’ future plans include careers in nursing, education, diesel and automotive mechanics, the military, cabinetry and agriculture science.
More than half of the 21 graduates had received scholarships of one sort of another to help further their higher educations.
Sure, they bantered about “getting out of Dodge,” to live in anonymity. But they also waxed sentimental about the fact that their classmates and teachers are like an extended family and the comfort and support that comes from that familiarity.
It doesn’t take long for the romance of a solitary existence to turn into downright loneliness.
Our challenge?
To see that today’s graduates can live out their dreams here.
One avenue within everyone’s power is to foster a healthy sense of community that makes graduates want to return home.
Communities need to be conscientious of the vibes they give off.
Saying no to ideas that benefit the greater good signals a closed-door, closed-minded attitude.
City leaders need to think progressively and embrace healthy lifestyles, innovative work places and a variety of educational opportunities.
To be conducive to young families, communities need to place a priority on good schools, recreational programs and entertainment venues.
On an individual level, if you don’t already, join a church, a club, a cause. To be a caring community, we need to put the needs of others’ ahead of ourselves.
By doing these things, we’ll not only increase our chances of being a community graduates want to come home to, but in the process better ourselves as individuals, neighbors and friends.
