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<\/a>Without realizing it, we fill important places in each other\u2019s lives. It\u2019s that way with the guy at the corner grocery, the mechanic at the local garage, the family doctor, teachers, neighbors, coworkers. Good people who are always \u201cthere,\u201d who can be relied upon in small, important ways. People who teach us, bless us, encourage us, support us, uplift us in the dailiness of life. We never tell them. I don\u2019t know why, but we don\u2019t.\u00a0<\/em> Robert Fulghum<\/p>\nYou may remember Robert Fulghum as the author of “All I Really\u00a0Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten<\/em>“.\u00a0 \u00a0In 1988 he published that best-selling book in which he outlined many of the lessons we learned as young children<\/strong> – share everything, clean up your own mess, don’t take things that aren’t yours – and he beseeched us to apply those principles to our adult lives.\u00a0 Among the most salient points he made was: “When you go out into the world watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p><\/div>\n I was drawn back to Reverend Fulghum’s book this past week for two reasons.\u00a0 First, I am reading The Rise and Fall of 9\/11<\/em>,<\/strong> written in 2019 by Mitchell Zuckoff, a former Boston Globe<\/em> reporter.\u00a0 The book is an in-depth account of the people and events of that horrible day.\u00a0 At times it has been painful to read, learning about everyday people in the air and on the ground, knowing what their ultimate fate would be<\/strong>.\u00a0 But it has also been inspiring, a good reminder that people are generous and giving; there are plenty of people who look out for their fellow man, even to the detriment of their own well-being. \u00a0Reading about so many selfless acts reminded me of Fulghums\u2019 advice – there were many examples that day of “holding hands and sticking together<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n Much has changed in the ensuing twenty years.\u00a0 Technology has changed our lives<\/strong> for the better, and occasionally, for the worse.\u00a0 The tech boom has altered almost everything we do, and in the process has created a super-wealthy class,<\/strong> rich beyond what any previous generation could dream of, much less achieve.\u00a0 Unfortunately, for some, their wealth brings with it a sense of entitlement.\u00a0 Which brings me to the second reason I pulled out Robert Fulghum’s book this week.<\/p>\n Like many rural areas, Sun Valley saw a significant rise in population<\/strong> as a result of the COVID pandemic.\u00a0 In fact, real estate sales hit an all-time high last year, with prices increasing as much as 52% in some neighborhoods.\u00a0 Most of the new residents and visitors are coming from Seattle and Southern California and, unfortunately, they have not taken the time to learn about the town and how its citizens are expected to behave.\u00a0 City leaders said the growth has fostered some negative changes:<\/strong> trash and dog waste left on trails, aggressive driving, speeding cyclists who don\u2019t yield to others and rude treatment of restaurant workers.\u00a0 The owner of one local eatery decided to close on Saturdays because of weekend customers\u2019 poor treatment of staff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The city council is now pondering a new marketing campaign<\/strong> to “school” new residents and visitors alike on the expected norms of this peaceful little valley.\u00a0 \u00a0The current proposal is, \u201cDon\u2019t change Sun Valley. Let Sun Valley change you.\u201d\u00a0 I think that’s a fine start, but maybe the city leaders should consider distributing copies of Rev. Fulghum’s book as people enter town.\u00a0 It would appear that a lot of people have forgotten<\/strong> what they learned in kindergarten.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson Without realizing it, we fill important places in each other\u2019s lives. It\u2019s that way with the guy at the corner grocery, the mechanic at the local garage, the family doctor, teachers, neighbors, coworkers. Good people … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/helping-hands-300x193.jpg\")
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<\/a>Each year since the mid-1980’s my husband and I have visited Sun Valley, Idaho<\/strong>.\u00a0 We love it for it’s beauty, but also because of it’s “laid back”, mountain town vibe.\u00a0 Although the city was founded by a wealthy man (Averell Harriman) and has historically attracted movie stars and business titans, it has still maintained a low-key, respectful culture<\/strong>.\u00a0 So I was distressed this past week to read an article in the local Sun Valley paper about changes to the friendly ethos.<\/p>\n