Community Pride

A traveler nearing a small rural town asked a woman seated by the wayside, "What are the people like in your town?" She answered, "How were the people where you came from?" He replied, "A terrible lot. Mean, untrustworthy, detestable in all respects." "Ah," said the woman, "you will find them the same here."

Later, another traveler stopped and also asked about the people in the town ahead. Again the old woman asked about the people in the town he just left. The traveler replied, "They were fine people; honest, industrious and generous to a fault. I was sorry to leave." The wise woman responded, "So are the people here."

What kind of message do you give about the town you live in? The Heartland Center for Leadership Development points out key differences between communities that are surviving and those that are dying. Number 1 on the list is community pride.

Source: Poster. (1998/99). Heartland Center for Leadership Development, 941 O Steet, Suite 920, Lincoln, NE 68508.