My favorite winter photo reminds me of a Maya Angelou quote:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The photo is too dark and blurred for anyone to see the details — like the memory of conversation details are blurred, but I remember clearly how I felt the day I took the photo. It was the day we moved to our Methow Valley home the winter of 2011. Our two dogs, Shasta and Loki — now passed — stood atop towering piles of snow looking into the windows of our new home. We were happily looking forward to life in the Methow Valley.
I don’t remember details about everyone I met when I first visited the valley, or when I first moved here, but I do remember how they made me feel. Our neighbors, expecting our arrival, snowplowed a path all the way up the drive to the front door and left a pile of wood by the stove.
The following morning began with a series of unfortunate events. The temperature that day was 4 degrees Fahrenheit. The water pump sprung a leak, creating a cascading fountain gushing several feet into the air from the frost-free faucet. My car, with me in it, slid backwards on an icy downhill and landed in a 5-foot snow bank. And unbeknownst to Qwest, CenturyTel, and AT&T — all of whom reassured us that we could get internet access — the house was in a dead zone. There was a jack on the wall, and a line to the house, but no one would claim ownership of the line.
By the next day, Joe and I had fixed most of the problems. After a snowshoe trek, our spirits were restored. We didn’t have internet or phone at the house for some time. Turns out it is difficult to order internet or a phone line without a phone signal. We found a solution for both through Verizon, a strong cell phone signal that doubles as an internet hotspot.
Another thing we did not consider when we moved here was package delivery of large items. Over the years we learned to be communicative with delivery of large items or packages that require a signature. Two companies are communicative, flexible, and helpful. One is not. When choosing which companies to use to send out our own packages, we use the two companies that have consistently delivered: UPS and USPS.
In this last year of a global pandemic and political upheaval, Maya’s words hit home: People will never forget how you made them feel. Some local county officials and businesses responded quickly and took steps to make consumers and voters feel assured that we were “all in this together.” Local businesses offered shopping and delivery services, curbside pickup, masked up, and changed production lines from clothing or bags to producing masks. Some officials and businesses chose instead to amplify division and politicize the moment: blaming the governor and liberals at large, instead of adapting to the moment.
Businesses and officials who assured society that we are “all in this together,” rightfully earned public support. I know I will forget some of the details of what was said, or done, but I’ll never forget how most local businesses and organizations stepped up and leaned in. Thank you.
