I don’t know if it is because I am old or if it is just that I am more observant than I was when I was younger, but things have changed so much that almost every day I think of something that makes me either think, laugh or weep!
I have lived in Waitsfield for 50 years. I moved here in my senior year of college and was thrilled by the way I was welcomed into this wonderful farming community. I came from a small town in New Jersey but Waitsfield was much more welcoming and friendly and truthfully, until last year, I never went back to New Jersey. To this very day I can tell you the names of everyone who lived on the road that I live on today. Most were farmers who actually milked cows and worked very hard to raise their families. But they all had time to welcome me to their midst and I knew right away that this was the town that I wanted to live in for the rest of my life.
Fortunately, I met Malcolm while I worked here in the Valley. He says that he liked me from the beginning, but I am not too sure. I thought that he was sort of crabby but he was part of the young group that worked throughout the Valley and skied every day. I never did ski very well so perhaps this is the reason he sort of ignored me at first. But, we finally became friends, married and settled down here to raise our family. And we both admit that it was a good decision then and continues to be a good thing. But the friendly, farming community has changed even more than we have! And believe me, neither one of us is still the young, attractive person we were then. In fact, I still find it amazing that most of the old residents of the Valley are no longer with us and that Malcolm and I have taken their place. How and when that happened, I have no idea. Although I know it has happened, I still feel young and vital but a frightening glance into the mirror tells me that it just isn’t true.
What I find most interesting about my 50 years here is the change of attitude which I found so wonderful. Let me give you an example. When I moved to the Valley, Nelson Patch was the sheriff. He was a very big man who also picked up the milk from the various farms. He could pick up two milk cans, full of milk, with one in each hand and swing them up into the back of his truck. He didn’t talk much but he was an integral part of the Valley. I don’t believe he ever gave anyone a speeding ticket but he certainly felt it was his duty to warn anyone that he thought was driving too fast. I also don’t know if Nelson ever caught a criminal or if he was supposed to do so, but everyone I knew felt more secure knowing that Nelson was around and keeping us all safe. And the kids? No one would have ever gotten into any real trouble. They, too, knew that Nelson was a huge presence in the Valley. He knew what were pranks and what would have been considered unlawful and no one wanted to have him talk to them or their parents about their behavior.
Now? Things have changed. We still have a sheriff but he can only give out speeding tickets, which he does on a regular basis. There is no such thing as a warning and speeding is anything that means you are over a few miles of the posted speed limit. It would seem that Waitsfield has decided to try and balance their budget on the fines from speeders. Of course, I who never had gotten a speeding ticket, got two. One that I didn’t deserve because I wasn’t speeding but paid because it was a day or so before Christmas and I didn’t have time to fight it and the second one I was going 9 miles over the limit on my road because I was having a serious stomach problem and was trying to get home before, well you know what! Do I feel safer today than I did in 1961? Don’t be ridiculous! Where Nelson scared the lawbreaker by his presence, the law officers of today can’t help you in case of robbery, rape, or even drunk driving etc. etc. etc. but if you are an old woman racing to church, be careful or you will have a huge fine, points on your licence and much larger fees on your insurance. Oh, yes, the Valley has changed.
I still believe that a Village should help raise a child, but I am afraid that this doesn’t happen any more. It would appear that the young parent of today wants no help, no suggestions or heaven forbid, any negative comments about their parenting. Children now are the power source for their family and for most grandparents and older neighbors, this is difficult to understand.
But, you know, the pendulum continues to swing and although we believe that it will never go back to where it was before, I think we are probably wrong. It takes a while, but swing back it will. In the meantime we have to try and live within the parameters that we find ourselves in today. And if you can make it work within your own families and neighborhoods, God bless you.
