Fearing Change

Our town is contemplating long term objectives. Hard enough to get a block party organized let alone agree on a time to meet! And here we are trying to organize a potential downtown area where none has been before.

Over the years – since 1833 actually – our community took root and grew fitfully; in spurts of energy sometimes, laconically in others. A gathering of buildings and homes in one place while others took shape near a railroad line. New stores and shops were added where convenient, just not always centralized to the other edifices.

In time two general areas of activities formed: one north, one south. A gas station, a bar, an auto repair shop. Then a grocery and a TV repair service. This was old town. Uptown was the train depot, some offices for an attorney, a drug store, an ice cream shop…you get the picture. City hall located uptown; so did the police department. A few businesses joined them. Later, much later, the commuter railroad ceased operation; uptown’s pace slowed.

Two town centers. Then new homes built on the outskirts. A new grocery store – supermarket actually, and a smallish shopping center. A cross roads of a state highway and one of our busy thoroughfares made a bright new center of commercial activity. Three town centers. A bank, a couple of restaurants, a bowling alley and another gas station or two.

Three town centers. Three. Not connected to one another. A community trifurcated; bifurcated is tough enough; but trifurcated? Hmmm.

So now in 2013, for the umpteenth attempt, the community is being asked to consider building an actual downtown – intentionally!  How daring to plan the future. How nervy of us to consider doing something together for the benefit of us all. And with forethought. We must have turned the corner sometime in the recent past to be responsible for our own future. When was that do you suppose?

Now come public discussions about the plans. What legal programs have to be put into place to make these plans possible, even viable. What sort of investment does the community have to make to get things started? What options can we pursue, should we choose to make the best plan? What do we want? What do you want? How do we come together in support of the common plan. Is there a common plan?

And then the questions begin – at first slow and tentative, later querulous and edgy, spiked with attitude. Maybe not attitude exactly, more like a sense of fear. What are we getting ourselves into? Will this work? Who benefits? Who pays? Anyone get hurt? Whose idea is this in the first place? What motivates him or them? Should we be more careful? Do we let any of this happen?

Safety. Keeping things the same. No change, no fear of the unknown. Maybe we should slow this process down. Maybe we don’t need a downtown. Maybe three town centers are just fine. Maybe……

Why are we so afraid of change? Why do we plan the future? Why can’t we just get along with each other?

April 19, 2013