We have already had our first frost and, recent decent weather notwithstanding, winter is on its way. A few degrees colder this past weekend and we would still be shoveling snow.
With the heart of the holidays fast approaching, now might be a good time to give thanks for our good fortune to live in this great country. Every year about this time we are bombarded with media messages connecting the holidays to material things.
When it comes to shopping we will always favor supporting our local businesses, but in this time of economic caution, we might suggest tuning out the message from Madison Ave. and looking closer to home.
We are fortunate to live in a country where even the poorest among us seems to have a cell phone but really, everywhere you look, there are people still trying to get by any way they can.
Even as the headlines scream about this or that billion-dollar bonus, many of our neighbors are one missed paycheck away from disaster.
This year, maybe more than others, this might be the time to help a neighbor. The Community Energy Fund is going to need a few dollars to help keep people warm again this year. The Boy Scouts just had a successful food drive, for which they thank you. That will help a little, but the local Food Pantries are still strained to the limit.
This is the time to lend a hand or a shoulder or a grindstone-ready nose and actually embrace the community spirit. Volunteer to help a local effort. Buy an extra can of something at the store and drop it off at the local food pantry. Root through the closet and find those clothes that you will never wear again, (be honest now) and donate those.
In this country, where even lean times are times of plenty compared to other areas of the world, even a little bit can still go a long way.
