The Peabody Way
By LESLIE LaFOY
Design Chairman
I was at Peabody Market the other day and happened to cross paths with out-of-town visitors who wanted information on our industrial park. At the end of what pretty much amounted to a question and answer session, they profusely thanked me for being so helpful. My response to such obviously stunned appreciation
In the days since, and in the marking of my family's one-year anniversary of living in Peabody, I've given some thought to that quick, casual comment I made to strangers. My conclusions
Our way is a difficult thing to describe, though. It's more than polite friendliness and kindness to strangers. That is, after all, expected; our mothers and grandmothers would be appalled if we behaved in any lesser fashion. It's more than simply being a small, closely-knit rural community. There are literally hundreds of small, closely-knit rural towns dotting Kansas.
No, the Peabody way is really a state of mind, a set of attitudes. It is a firm conviction that the past has value, that traditions anchor us all, and that both are worth preserving. It is about easy inclusion and genuine cooperation, about welcoming new kindred spirits, trying new ideas, and sincerely and honestly working together for the benefit of the entire community. Most importantly, the Peabody Way is a bedrock belief in ourselves and in our certain ability to progress without compromising the values and traditions that have made us who we are.
As I write this the strong, happy notes of "She's a Grand Ol' Flag" are drifting into my office through the front windows. From the looks of it, it's the middle school marching band out for a practice. Ah, they're making the turn from First onto Walnut and heading uptown. Traffic is stopped. Pedestrians are smiling, clapping. The UPS driver is keeping time on the steering wheel. People are coming out of the stores to watch, to enjoy. The kids are playing their hearts out and doing George M. Cohen proud.
Judging by the grins of the women who put their antiques expedition on hold to watch and cheer, the kids are doing Peabody proud, too. And doing a far better job of explaining the Peabody Way than I ever could.
