Rural Character(s)

What the heck is 'Rural Character'?

This question has been floated around over the last few years.

Rural America certainly looks different from the suburbs or the city but what does that difference mean to those who were born in the country or folks who moved from the city to the country?

For instance, on a mid September morning, while driving down Queens Highway, three guys look at the same view entirely differently.

• The young local guy is driving his silver 2005 GMC diesel pick-up. He grew up farming, and now works in construction when he isn't volunteering down at the fire house. To make some extra money, he manages to hay a couple of fields and sell cord wood because he wants to build a modular home on a lot his Grandfather left for him. He looks at the field and notices that the farmer has a new mower. He thinks, "Ayup, I'm going to need a new mower soon. I should stop by his place and check his out". He looks out onto the horizon and sees a few sprays of yellow foliage which make him smile. Fall means deer and turkey season. Hunting is good for his soul.
  

• The retired fellow drives a 2002 Green Subaru Forester. He and his wife moved here 40 years ago when he got a job at IBM. Now, they go to Florida for a couple of months every winter and live here the rest of the time. He looks across and thinks, "Winter is right around the corner, I need to call my neighbor and ask him to drop off a couple of cords of wood." He looks out onto the horizon and smiles because fall means that the grand kids will come visit to go to Kelders's Farm for pumpkins and Halloween corn. Grand kids are good for his soul.
  

• The weekender is stylish in his showroom fresh 2008 Metallic Blue Buick Enclave. He is on his way to Saunderskill Farm to get some bread and a pie. He passes the field and notices the Gunks in the background. He thinks about how lucky he is to be here. He scans the horizon and sees what looks like an eagle. "What could be better than to get involved in saving this beautiful place from becoming just like every other ugly suburb." Fall means inviting friends up to the country for delicious dinners in front of the fire place. Weekends in Accord are good for his soul.
  

Three men, one farm, one view, three different rural characters? What these men do not know is exactly how interdependent they really are.

Over the past few years the young local guy worked on scores of houses all over town. From mundane lawn cutting to being part of building a million dollar home he has helped make life better for dozens of folks. Local guys play critical roles as craftsmen, artisans, laborers and contractors. They fix cars, repair wells and will check on your place after a storm. As farmers, store owners and restaurateurs local guys feed the masses and then, as firemen or on the rescue squad, they show up to save you when you dial 911!!!

The retired fellow and his wife have been married for 47 years and have two grown children. Their son is an electrical engineer and lives just outside of Boston. Their daughter teaches fourth grade in Rosendale and her husband is a district manager for Cumberland Farms. They have two grand children, a boy and a girl. Like many retirees around, this couple provides day to day economic stability as they regularly go to the market, hardware store, bank and diner. Between he and his wife, they volunteer about six hours a week at the Church, Friends of Historic Rochester and the Food Pantry. His volunteer efforts and his steady reliance on local guys and businesses for everything from home repairs, car tune-ups to a couple of cords of wood provide for a strong and stable community.

The weekender, ahhhh, the weekender, everyone's favorite guy to pick on. Yeah, he can be thoughtless, he doesn't know a thing about living in the country and what's with that car.... it's shinier than the bald spot on his head! The weekender provides a couple of things that we all benefit from. First is money, and over time, we are talking lots of money. What's the first thing a weekender does? Spend money on their house; there is always a bathroom that needs to be gutted, a new kitchen installed, porches rebuilt and paint doesn't just put itself up! Next there is the maintenance; sprinklers, lawns, snow removal, cleaning, landscaping, pool work - the list goes on and on. Then, of course it's time to eat, and eat and eat! This money spent is very good for our community but is there anything else the weekenders provide? Maybe, it depends on your point of view. Clearly, weekenders often bring an upscale, hip, some might use the old fashioned term 'yuppy', values up with them. Amongst these values is a strong commitment to the environment and a desire to preserve the natural beauty and history that surrounds them here.

Hey, wait a second, doesn't the local guy hunt, doesn't he love the outdoors and the last I spoke with him, he said he wanted to get married and raise his kids here because it is safe. Aren't those the same things the rich dude wants; to be in the country, where it's safe while surrounded by nature? What about the old guy and his wife - all they want is to age gracefully, live where it's clean and to be safe?

We have a trend going here, don't we?

Maybe, just maybe, rural character isn't about apple pie, old houses, farm stands, views or even being a good old boy with a pick up truck.

Maybe rural character is really about something we actually already share - the desire to, even if it is just on the weekend, live simply, quietly and at peace with nature - even if that is defined by blasting a tiny corner of nature with a little bird shot early on a Saturday morning.

Think about this, Mother Nature is good for our town's soul!

Is preserving nature good for us as a community?

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