To the editor:
In response to an article published in the July 22, 2009 edition of the Star-Herald – ‘Hummer had no place in Portage Lake parade’. “If you do not have anything nice to say – it is better to say NOTHING!”
It is blatantly obvious that the writer of this article is not a native of the county or of Portage Lake. People that are from here, born here, live here – care about one another and if they have something to say that is hurtful or derogatory, it is usually best kept to themselves. I know for a fact that most live by this unsaid rule.
I have had the privilege of being raised in this small community. There is nothing in the world stronger than a community of people that feed off a “Good Morning” from a neighbor, a smile, a hug or a handshake. This is a community where people look forward to picking up their mail at the Post Office because they just might bump into a friend they haven’t seen in a while. Families enjoy being together on weekends and invite friends over to enjoy family fun, good cooking and conversation. We are a community of people that come together for weddings, anniversaries and funerals. Be it a happy or a sad occasion – the families in this community are always there to help you.
We are not poor – we recovered from the depression 75 years ago! We are hard-working individuals – we earn what we have and are proud that we have had the opportunity to achieve levels of success. Our work ethic goes above and beyond, right along with our respect and kindness for one another. Our families are strong, thriving and rich with heritage.
The letter to the editor written about our glorious centennial parade and celebration was a well written article that at the beginning, touched my soul as the true definition of our community. The utterly sad part is it was equally as hurtful in its conclusion. How sad to finish reading the article and be left with such complete distaste for the writer. He knows NOT what he said, nor who he hurt. “Ignorance is bliss” and for this writer – I blame his ignorance for attempting to imply that our community is less than it truly is.
Portage Lake
