Have you ever just taken a second to look at this town? On a clear, beautiful day, this is really a nice little town to live in.
I sat at the Java Express today after eating a curry chicken salad sandwich and just took it in with our photographer Brooke Wolfe. The cafe overlooks Depot Park, the centerpiece of downtown, which was bustling with children playing on the train stationed there. In the background, a working train that had to have about 40 cars passed by, carrying a load of lumber and other building materials, and all around cars and trucks passed with people going about their usual business. To my left, the Temple Theatre advertised upcoming shows and an older couple walked down the sidewalk holding hands.
I thought to myself, “this sums up Sanford in a nutshell. We are lucky.”
Look, I know it is cool to bash your hometown, especially if you are from a place as small as Sanford. Sanford gets a bad rap from people who live here because there is nothing to do.
And I’ll be the first to admit that, at times, I am one of those complainers.
But I come from a town much smaller than this one (Robbins) where there is none of the amenities you enjoy here. Our theater and depot have fallen into disrepair. Our factories have moved out. Our economy is sagging into hopelessness.
As much as I love Robbins (it will always be home), I have found a great place to live here in Sanford. I am glad I came here four years ago, and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
The most appropriate, and hopeful, part of my Depot Park scene today was the train carrying the lumber. This is a town on the move. It is growing right before our eyes, with houses popping up daily. We are lucky in that regard as well, since most towns this size are retracting.
We must not fear growth — it is coming whether we like it or not. We must embrace it, for it is the only thing that can save us. In America today, you either grow or die. There are plenty of little towns — like Robbins or Laurinburg — that exemplify this notion.
The first thing that struck me when I moved to Sanford was the vitality of the downtown region. Most people say that small downtowns are dying out with the advent of the chain box stores. But here we have a strong downtown — one that has become a destination even moreso than a pass-through spot on people’s way to Wal-Mart.
But it could always be better. In the coming weeks we plan to take a close look at the empty storefronts in downtown for a series.
In the coming days, weeks and months, as spring breathes new life into Sanford, I urge you to take a moment to savor it. Quit complaining — you are here and likely will be for the foreseeable future, so make the most of it. Get involved by joining one of the many groups, clubs and nonprofit that are aimed at improving the quality of life here. If you need a reminder of why you are here, spend an afternoon at the Java.
This is your town, and it will be whatever you make it.
