To the Editor:
Now is the time to think of we, not me.
My wife and I are out-of-state second-home owners, and we can’t tell you how much more comfortable and safe we’d feel sheltering in place in the Mad River Valley right now. But we owe it to our friends and the entire Mad River Valley community that have welcomed us with open arms to think of their safety first.
It is true that we contribute tax dollars like all of you, but that does not entitle us to the limited resources of the MRV or larger Vermont community for any reason during these trying times. The consideration of the greater good, not our personal preference and desires, should steer our decision-making at this time. To think at some point in the future we might be returning to The Valley to find that some of our new friends were significantly impacted by our actions in dealing with the coronavirus is not an acceptable outcome.
You all have contributed to a better life for us through our Vermont experiences. We should be willing to contribute to your safety as a way of saying thanks. We taught our children to live by Emerson’s Law of Compensation, which simply states that the more you give the more you get. The additional lesson is to always think about being a giver first, and we will choose to give you your safety first.
Charlie Hauck
Fayston and PA
