Out And About With Carter...
Lots of activities take place in our City of Bridges. Yet many places in the Valley are quite unknown and unexplored to the average citizen. So, let us take a minute to go out and about, with Carter.
And we are back! Your favorite "Junior" is back in school. Citizens of Valley City! So, my articles will be shorter; however, they will still be great. So let us get into this town. This is a wonderful, beautiful, and active town.
Have you seen the traffic?! We were getting into school, and I saw the road filled with cars and kids everywhere! Considering that the west road by VCHS is under construction, this influx in traffic is expected, haha! But I am sure I am used to seeing empty streets when clocking in at the library. So this is a back-toschool shock, yet life goes on. I looked around VCHS and Alley Beans, trying to find a story to tell, and I did not have to look far. Just peek at Central, gazing at everyone commuting to work. No matter how bad traffic is in Valley City, I will always testify that seeing families going to daycare, parents going to work, older generations getting coffee, and people walking the streets is beautiful. It is like living in a musical where everything is perfect, and this grand old town is a well-oiled machine staring up with a cup of joe and a few hello's. But as much as I like to stay positive, I cannot deny the ever-growing issues in this town. For example, a lack of competitive grocery shopping leads to suburban monopolization that drains the wallet of the working middle class, which can drastically affect our daily lives and leave us a bit worn out. Yet, because this town is always filled with joy, positivity, and hard work, things have become much more manageable. This small town isn't half bad when we make the most of what we have. We were raised by a generation who had to do the same quite often. What a blessing.
Besides making something as dull as traffic interesting, there is another topic to cover. Neighbors. I've never had them. Ahh, the country life.. anyway. It's that time of year when we need to look out for each other. As the newsies once said, "Neighbor to neighbor, father to son, one for all and all for one." From house damages to fundraisers or even a quick check-in, this is a wonderful time to be there for one another. You never know what those families with three kids and one apartment could handle, so leniency, empathy, and generosity should be our motto, not just at this time but always. Valley City knows how to do this. Come to think of it, almost every time I have walked into Alley Beans, I'm greeted with an amazing “Hello!” and “How are you?.” In some places, that's not customary, so I recognize that as a unique blessing to Valley City. Thanks for reading, folks. God bless you. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email me at carterryanhass@gmail.com.