Covering fun, unique and interesting events has been made even better by being
able to share them with readers. Chattering about them in person, one sees
the “glaze over” look in the listener’s eyes, and the story has to be cut short. Being
published in a newspaper, one can just assume that everyone is hanging on every
word, and the writer is not present when yesterday’s article becomes liner for the
hamster cage or is turned into kindling.
Lyon County has been an interesting enigma to explore since returning here in 2008. Formerly a weekend and seasonal resident in the lakes area, as a child, and an occasional visitor afterward, it was still uncomfortable to be labeled as an “outsider,” while seeking to interview locals about their lives and cover events that continue to make the lakes area a magnet for visitors and retirees.
I deliberately stayed away from many school events, as to be honest, I missed teaching so much that I just did not need the reminder of what I was missing. Curiously enough, I had taught lessons in Lyon County classrooms in 1986-1987, as a member of the University of Kentucky Educational Talent Search team, although in my brief visits now, I absolutely cannot recall which rooms I visited several times during the year.
But, the past several weeks, as the Foreigner event exploded across the county, I jumped back into the whirlwind of the classroom as voting overtook every piece of technology that was available. Like many other Lyon countians, I was determined that these kids would have an opportunity to share an experience that might very well open some doors that they, otherwise, would not have been able to
experience. And, it actually happened!
Politics aside, when Hillary Clinton used the ancient African proverb for the title of her book, “It Takes A Village,” she chose well, and her remarks at a national convention explained it eloquently, “And we have learned that to raise a happy,
healthy and hopeful child, it takes a family, it takes teachers, it takes clergy, it takes
business people, it takes community leaders, it takes those who protect our health
and safety, it takes all of us.”
And she added, “Yes, it takes a village.”
That’s what Lyon County has — a village, and in this moment of time — the village members came together to make sure that these youngsters would have an experience which would do two things. One is that Lyon County is always going to be home, but the second is that there is another world out there, and these young people should never be afraid to explore.
It was so appropriate that the three young men also featured on the front page of last week’s Herald Ledger are having an extraordinary experience in a remote bay near an Alaskan shoreline. Pictured in front of two ocean-going vessels, they are still in touch with their Lyon County heritage. On the second page of the souvenir issue is Jeff Pilson, bassist of Foreigner, (with his newest fan), and his challenge was sincere, “Just explore,” Pilson encouraged. “Keep your options open; get as much education as you can, and be honest with yourself.”
He then added his final encouragement: “ It may take a while, but it will happen.”
And, it happened! Congratulations to the village of Lyon County. Always remember that your children are watching you, every day and every moment.
If you want them to come home, you may have to let them go for a while — just to
explore.
Carol Niswonger is a contributing Herald Ledger writer. Contact her at 270-388-2269.
