Thoughts about Charlotte from a
Temporary Absentee in a Nursing Home
Commentary by Larry Hamilton,
December 16, 2010, page 2.....

It was two years ago that, immediately following double knee replacement, I broke my femur and wound up for two months in a nursing home. I penned these thoughts and have kept them, but now haul them out in view of the discussion about whether we have too much conserved land in Charlotte. The first part at least seems relevant to this discussion.
L.H.

Many of us who live in Charlotte, whether for two years, 30 years or a lifetime, feel that we have found “our place.” This is a place where we want to have roots and find a grounding sanctuary in a world of too-rapid change, of turmoil, one that we feel powerless to alter. As I lie or sit here in my room, longing to get back to Bittersweet Lane, I try to analyze why it is that I feel so fortunate that I have found my “place,” living in our town. Two major reasons stand out from the many facets of living in Charlotte.
First of all, there is the physical, or more aptly biophysical, surround or habitat in which I live. The lake, hills, farms, forests, streams, wetlands, wild plants and animals, clean air – this environment is absolutely stunning. Yet it is more than superficial beauty to an observer; it is a habitat in which one can immerse oneself and feel bonded to this lovely creation, Earth. It permeates all the senses: Canada geese honking overhead, the barking of fox, the “peent” of woodcock, autumn foliage, the forest/field mosaic, the warmth of summer garden soil, the taste of newly-picked blueberries, even the smell of newly manured fields: the bonding vignettes go on and on. Here one feels connected to the REAL world, which is not the world of shopping, finance, political power or rushing from one meeting to another. Rather this is the world that sustains life, provides oxygen, water, food and fiber, and acquaintance with many of the other forms of life that share this planet with us. Charlotte can provide opportunities to repeatedly reconnect with life. Land conservation is one of the best ways of assuring that “rural” remains in our future.
In the second place, there is the human community, the potlucks, the small businesses where you meet friends, the volunteer meetings. We are so fortunate in Vermont and in our town in particular that we can easily work with others to shape our future. We are not powerless. Government is close to us, not some distant, impersonal entity or process that cannot be influenced. We may often encounter our Congressional or Statehouse members or the Governor at modest events. Town Meeting, Selectboard meetings and hearings, Planning Commission meetings and those of Zoning Board of Adjustment, or the many volunteer committees and commissions that have been established to assist government, all are available for information and input into decision-making. We have a town plan, shaped by the community to provide a vision of what we collectively want the town to remain or become over time. It will be coming up for review. Do we want to maintain the quality of rich rural and small village living, or become another example of a town that has trashed nature and the rural landscape in favor of more inappropriately sited development? We have a choice.
I can’t wait to get back!
Larry Hamilton