Have you ever wondered why people donate their time and resources to the Town of Sterling? I have.
A gentleman who I have come to know and admire spends most days working in and around Sterling on projects that are important to him. Projects that he has championed. Projects that have an impact on our community, its appearance and legacy.
In a recent conversation, I asked him off-the-cuff why he devoted so much of his own personal time to the minutia of details surrounding Town projects. The answer I got back has been rolling around in my head ever since. The answer was very simple. “This is my Town”.
It took me by surprise. After all, I have lived in more than a dozen different ‘towns’ throughout my life and I never grew an attachment to any one place. At first, I didn’t understand the sentiment. But in thinking about it, I have lived in Sterling for more than 35 years and raised my children here and they, their children, right here in Sterling. I have grown to think of it as my Town as well.
With that said, I can’t imagine how it must feel…
- To have lived here all your life;
- To know first-hand what this Town was like 50 , 60 or more years ago;
- To have heard stories from your parents and grandparents of their lives growing up in Sterling generations ago;
- To examine what has changed and what has stayed the same;
- To hear about the values of the community then as compared to now;
- To understand the bond people shared a century ago;
- To understand the sense of pride you carry with you when you have spent your entire life in one place?
Just imagine. Well, I am just beginning to understand the sense of belonging that evolves with time. The Town you live in molds your sense of place. It grounds you. It fills you with something difficult to describe, something no one can ever take away. A reverence, a respect. It is home.
Contributed by Robert McKay Jones, member Sterling 1835 Town Hall Committee