To the editor:
Recently, I had a chance to attend a conference in a big city. As I was walking and driving in its downtown area, I became even more appreciative of my community in Houlton.
- The people. The more I live in this community, the more I realize that it’s such a “caring” community. It’s much more than welcoming and friendly. I see over and over again where there is a need, there is help. I am pretty sure that we are one of the most successful fundraising communities. I feel there’s a sense of community here.
- The Family Friendly Atmosphere. It’s a great place to have children and raise a family. Our community cares and works hard at creating a family friendly atmosphere. As a young dad, I really enjoy watching my children have fun with all kinds of different activities in all seasons.
- The Small Town. We are the community of “being known and knowable.” To be honest, at first, I felt uncomfortable with this, since I had grown up in a fairly large city in South Korea and was so accustomed to being anonymous. But now, I enjoy this sense of family. And living in a small town, I learn to appreciate the little things in life, such as gardening, taking a nature walk, making small talk to my neighbor.
- The Scenery and Fresh Air. How beautiful. How fresh. In our town, it’s not difficult to see the cobalt blue sky or white fleecy clouds. And every time I come back home after being away, the first thing I notice is how fresh and clean the air is compared to the city.
- No Traffic Jam. Though it’s a great convenience to live in a city in many ways, one of the downsides is the traffic. When I drive in the city, I feel like I am a beginner driver. But when I drive in our town, or even once I cross the Piscataqua River Bridge (connecting Portsmouth, N.H. with Kittery, Maine), I feel like I become a good driver again.
- The Pastors. I truly appreciate and admire pastors in our community. In my experience, I’ve never seen any like our ecumenical clergy group, whose members so proactively and authentically work together for the common good, rather than compete against each other.
- The Faith Communities. If I were not a pastor and didn’t need to lead the church service on Sundays, there are several churches that I would really want to explore and be part of the family. One of them is my church. I am biased here.
Victor Han, pastor
Houlton United Methodist Church
