Great start to the season (11/19/07)

Admittedly, Christmas has become far too commercialized in America in the 21st century.

And, admittedly, the middle of November is stretching the Christmas season.

But, just the same, there's something to be said for WinteFest, the event launched and sponsored by the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce.

In an era when human contact can be replaced by virtual contact via the Internet, communities can't come together face to face too many times. It's important, corny as it may sound, for individuals to run into each other at events like parades and county fairs and engine shows and benefit events and festivals and performances.

They reinforce both our humanity and our connection to one another.

WinterFest - like Glass Days, Loblolly Days, Balbec Days, the Jay County Fair, Redkey's Fun 4 Kidz, the Salamonia Firemen's Fun Festival, Harvest Jubilee, and similar events - serves to get us out of our houses, away from our television sets, and away from our computers.

And this weekend did the trick quite nicely.

Whether it was breakfast with "Dora" and the explorer kids or walking through the decorations at the Jay County Courthouse or the parade of lights or Sunday's delightful home tour or simply shopping with local merchants, doing business with people who know your name and whose name you know, it all strengthens the very notion of community.

That may not seem like much.

But it is enormous.

As community development expert Vaughn Grisham pointed out last week, it's essentially the difference between a place that lives and a place that dies.

So when you're counting your blessings on Thanksgiving later this week, add WinterFest and all its numerous counterparts to the list. They help keep this a living community.

And given the choice between "virtual" and living, we'll take living every time. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]