By Danna Downing
Having lived in the South County area since 1975, I have grown older under the legacy of Mercer Munn, who had a reputation for calling our community “the Center of the Universe.” As is the fashion in these modern digital days, I have come to shorten the phrase to TCU and think of it as a brand for the many positive qualities I see and feel as a Vicksburg resident.
Spending the day at this year’s Old Car Fest offered me an exceptionally fine experience for writing this month’s column and once again highlighting my appreciation and respect for our community.
I truly love where I live. First and foremost, I am surrounded by people who care about each other and want to serve the community by sharing generous gifts of time, energy, and talent. Even those people with limited resources are willing to step up and pitch in with what they have, to support our many non-profit organizations to fund their critical work in the community. For example, as I was selling raffle tickets for the Rotary 50/50 raffle this year, I was amazed at the number of people who wanted to support this effort and who wanted to learn about our work; both residents and visitors. All the proceeds raised go to local groups who make the community a better place in which to live. Rotary was just one group on site dedicated to community service. We are rich in community resources.
We have many opportunities in this community to unite with our friends and neighbors at seasonal events such as the Burg Days, Harvest Fest, Vicksburg Schools’ fall tailgate, concerts, cultural events, and sporting activities. We now have the South County Senior Center for Active Living in town, soon to celebrate its first anniversary. Each of these offers life-sustaining mini-reunions with friends and loved ones. For example, the Old Car Fest provided me with the opportunity to give and receive a lot of hugs, to meet the mother of Matt Hawkins, our Assistant Principal at Vicksburg High School, and to catch up with friends of my son, who were in town for the event. I was excited to see the retired track coach who inspired both my sons in magical ways; this guy just finished his 49th year as a track coach, continuing his lifelong work as a volunteer now. It was also a time for offering sympathy and support to those with recent losses in their families. I was tickled to see the new disposal containers which accommodate both trash and recyclables and the emerging re-development of our Main Street environment. I delighted in the banner tributes to our veterans. I was fascinated by the history lessons from old car enthusiasts.
Bottom line: We live in a community committed to its people, history, and its future, in all the ways that count. Doesn’t that feel good?
