Ellenville and Wawarsing have been the subject of much discussion lately. We've made appearances in local arts magazines, large regional newspapers and even the New York Times has deigned to look our way and examine our worth.

Each time one of these outside observers comes poking around our back doors, we get nervous. Like any large family, we know there are problems but we like to make believe that other people can't see them or don't have a right to comment on them if they do.

But all of these articles tend follow the same thread – a depressed upstate town is trying to change its fortunes despite significant odds. Why is there shame in admitting to such realities, whether they are said during a conversation with a neighbor over tea or with a reporter over the phone?

We are so quick to pull the shades on curious visitors that we deny ourselves opportunities to connect with individuals and organizations from which we could benefit. Several times local politicians have publicly praised the area's "sense of community". And many more times area residents have complained that their community is not seen as a priority or even a part of Ulster County. But have we done all we can to draw attention to ourselves? Or do we sit and fume, content with the knowledge that things won't ever change? This is not a strategy for growth.

Neither is it beneficial to hold out for possibilities that are unlikely to occur. The sad truth is that large-scale manufacturing jobs are leaving this area because those jobs are leaving these shores. Businesses down the street now face global competition and small communities like ours need to understand that. National trends are moving the world in a particular direction and Wawarsing is caught in their wake. Not because there is something wrong with where we live. Decisions made on a global scale have repercussions in our homes.

But we are not lost. And hang the rascals that say we are. It is that kind of defeatist thinking that, along with waiting for the next big company to come along, has stunted the area from growing on its own and realizing its full potential.

The jobs that Schrade, VAW and Hydro offer are not going to be a part of the American landscape in the twenty-first century. They are not made to last and we need to realize that they won't.

Are "the arts" the answer? No. Is tourism the answer? No. Is the Farmers' Market the answer? No. But can they be a part of something bigger? YES. It's at least a possibility. Can we say the same for Hydro? For Schrade? For VAW?

Thinking differently about who we are and what we can do are the only ways to make this village and town thrive.

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