Size and importance are not necessarily inextricably linked. Something small can be more important than something large.
When we were children, we were often initially disappointed when a gift wrapped box was small.
Somehow we equated bigger as better. But, when that package was opened and revealed to hold some long-anticipated item, it was revealed to be special after all.
Our small community of Pea Ridge is special.
It is certainly special to each of its residents who can individually attest to some special aspect of why they like living here.
But, on a larger sphere, Pea Ridge has been recognized as special by others from without the community.
Sometimes people from a small town sense arrogance from people from larger communities. But Pea Ridge has much of which to be proud.
◊Our mayor is the president of the Arkansas Municipal League.
◊Our newspaper won first place (for several years) in competition with small weekly newspapers across the state.
◊Our school wins honors both statewide and nationally.
◊Our school was one of the first of its size to have a indoor athletic facility.
◊Our new football stadium and track will be one of the finest in the state.
We have a special community. And, maybe that’s what makes our city special most of all.
Community - a group of people living together in a particular area, but also a feeling of fellowship with others as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals, according to the dictionary.
One of the attractions of our town has been that sense of community - it’s around us everywhere: in the mornings, at the coffee spots around town; at lunch at the local restaurants; and on the weekends at various events.
People wave at one another when they pass. Store and restaurant clerks greet customers by name and with a smile.
Dawn in town finds townspeople gathered for coffee. They drink coffee, read the paper and visit about the previous day’s events before heading off to work.
At the local restaurants, people gather as much for the fellowship as the food.
Friendly greetings are exchanged.
One man was telling me recently that he loves going to a local diner because his “regular” lunch and breakfast are prepared as soon as the diner owner sees him.
He doesn’t even have to order.
And on most afternoons of at least three seasons a year, you find ball fields full of people visiting and watching youngsters play ball.
Just last weekend, community was obvious at the annual Pea Ridge Fair.
People brought their lawn chairs and gathered on the old school grounds downtown. Children ran and played; adults sat and visited and listened to music. Some sat under the tent and played bingo.
It is obvious at each of these gatherings that people meet for more than the obvious reason, they gather to visit, to share, to commune.
Many summer weekends the business parking lots in town have either barbecue sales or car washes for various groups raising money.
We need one another.
It is heart-warming to watch neighbors help neighbors. When a community member hurts, others hurt. When one rejoices, others rejoice with him.
Here in this small, but growing community, there have been many incidents of people helping others.
And, as Pea Ridge changes, as more people move here, we face the challenge of keeping the sense of community.
There was a day when “everyone knew everyone,” as a local person said recently. And they knew “what everyone drove.” But, as the population grows, that is no longer the case. But, it does not necessitate us being strangers or unfriendly.
When a newcomer moves into the neighborhood, take a minute to go by and take a plate of cookies and a newspaper to share the local news.
Introduce yourself. Don’t wait for someone else to make the first move. Take the initiative.
The charm of Pea Ridge has been its friendliness, its small-town atmosphere.
That can be maintained, if we’ll just consciously reach out to newcomers.
If we would each attempt to see the bigger picture, to consider the welfare of our neighbor and our community as well as our own, we can build a good community even as we grow.
Change is difficult, it brings challenges, but it is not always bad. To the natives who miss the quiet farming community, the noise of traffic, the number of people and unfamiliar faces may be disconcerting.
We have the best of both worlds here on the plateau of Pea Ridge in the Arkansas Ozarks.
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Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas four years in a row.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 07/10/2013