Everywhere I go, I ask myself, would I be happy here? Most places, the
answer is no, but in many places the answer is yes. But still, when the
plane descends over Lake Champlain into Burlington, I'm glad that I am
coming back here and not anywhere else. If it's daylight, I look out the
window and admire what's below.
If it's nighttime, I still know what it will look like in morning. We
don't live in the most dramatic place in the world, but I'd argue that
we live in the most serenely beautiful place in the world. You don't
have to fly in a plane to see it - all you have to do is drive over
Roxbury Gap and look down at The Valley from the top.
And, so, the question I ask: Is our place good enough to be worth
preserving? World events swirl around us, and we need to do our part.
Many people, me included, believe that we do. We ignore so many issues
but focus on others, and now it's solar panels and wind towers.
And, so, what should we do? Does it mean that we have to forsake what
brought most of us here? Does it mean that friends have to be at odds
over the right thing to do? Over the last 50 years, a combination of
those of us who were born here and those of us who moved here have
created an incredible place. If we work together, we should be able to
find common ground to solve our energy problems and still preserve our
serene beauty and avoid denuded mountaintops.
Slater lives in Fayston.
