The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Joy Is A Ripple Effect In Our Communities

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner

13 December 2006

It lifts my spirits as a weekly newspaper publisher in small town USA, just to see the spirit of the folks who live within our county.

As Christmas nears, I see more people bringing joy to others than I see making long wish lists for Santa.

It seems to be contagious in these parts.

I have a theory. When Jerry Weibel built his huge horse and buggy museum in Biggsville, not a money-maker you understand, but more of a gift, I think it generated good-will among those folks living there.

Then, a home came up for sale that once was a hotel, and Weibel and others gathered to form a Biggsville preservation group to purchase and preserve another part of Biggsville history.

It may be hard times, but in one night, $18,300 was committed for the task of buying the building and restoring it for a hotel/bed breakfast/meeting place.

The joy generated in the community is from working together, it seems, as floating wood floors have been laid, walls painted and papered, and trees hauled in for decorating at a festive get-together on the 15th. Mind you, the building was just purchased on the 5th!

Now, Mark Twain is even coming from Hannibal for the event and Russell Liston has a room where he has displayed all the pictures he has cared for from the Biggsville schools.

There is more joy in Biggsville. Around 300 folks turned out to honor their doctor, S.C. Lindo, who has given many years of care to the community.

Biggsville is just one small community in the Quill area. There are many more joys inspiring us, like the Sebastians of Gladstone who produce thousands of dollars in light displays as a gift to others, people who give up time to produce Christmas cantatas without charge for everyone in the community, people who donate food for the food pantry, those who clean off neighbor's walks and driveways when it snows, volunteers at nursing homes, school, ambulance and fire departments, and other service organizations.

People help with benefits, check on neighbors, and send cards, and I suspect, when someone does these good deeds, it spurs others on to do the same. My theory is, the ripple effect started years ago, in a manger. That is where the joy to the world and to each of us all began.