It’s easy to look around today and focus on what’s dividing us. Politics, social media, different opinions, different backgrounds and different walks of life seem to dominate so many conversations. Yet every so often, a community reminds itself that what unites us will always be stronger than what separates us.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve witnessed that spirit right here in Sampson County.
Shirley Jones isn’t asking for a handout. She’s simply asking for an opportunity to finish what she started. After investing countless hours and resources into restoring Sharon’s Country Diner, she has brought the building back to code, replaced the plumbing and is now within reach of reopening one of downtown Clinton’s most cherished establishments. The final hurdle is raising enough money to purchase the equipment and inventory needed to turn the lights back on.
Rather than watching from the sidelines, people have stepped forward. Volunteers have organized breakfast fundraisers, churches have opened their doors for benefit concerts, businesses have helped spread the word, and community leaders have rallied behind the effort. Countless residents have already made plans to buy a plate, attend a concert or simply tell someone else about the cause.
That’s what community looks like — not because everyone can give thousands of dollars, but because everyone can give something.
We’ve seen that same spirit at work in Salemburg. For years, residents hoped for a public park where children could play and families could gather. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Earl McDaniel, coupled with the efforts of town leaders who embraced that vision, Salemburg will soon have its very first park. What once seemed like an ambitious dream became reality because one person chose to give and an entire community chose to support the effort.
Those stories share a common thread. They remind us that remarkable things happen when people stop asking, “What can someone else do?” and instead begin asking, “What can I do?”
Unfortunately, we’re also reminded of what happens when the burdens become too heavy to carry alone. At the end of today, Reedy Mark in Roseboro will close its doors for the final time. Its closing isn’t the result of poor service or a lack of quality. Like so many small businesses across rural America, it has fallen victim to the difficult realities of today’s economy, where rising costs and shrinking margins make survival increasingly difficult.
Reedy Mark owner Donna Reedy opened a standalone business with the help of a caring community, and its closing will bring sadness to the hundreds who threw their support behind the fledgling business.
Its closing is a sobering reminder that local businesses don’t stay open simply because people appreciate them. They remain open because people choose to support them.
Communities are built one decision at a time. They grow stronger every time someone buys a meal from a local restaurant, attends a fundraiser, donates to a worthy cause, volunteers for a project or simply lends a helping hand to a neighbor. While no single person can solve every challenge facing a town, county or neighborhood, hundreds of people each doing a little can accomplish far more than one person trying to do everything alone.
The truth is, we all have our own cups to fill. Every family has bills to pay, responsibilities to shoulder and struggles that often remain unseen by everyone else. Yet there’s something remarkable that happens when we pour into one another. Our own burdens don’t magically disappear, but they become lighter because we’re no longer carrying them by ourselves.
That is the kind of community worth protecting.
In a world that too often profits from division and thrives on conflict, it’s refreshing to watch neighbors unite around a common purpose. They don’t have to agree on every issue to agree that helping one another still matters. They don’t have to think alike to work together toward something that benefits everyone.
If Sampson County continues embracing that spirit, there are very few obstacles we can’t overcome together. After all, a community isn’t ultimately defined by the challenges it faces. It is defined by the willingness of its people to stand shoulder to shoulder, lift one another up and prove that together, even the heaviest loads become a little easier to carry.