Be the antidote to negative people. Find the good and share it instead.
I love to gush on this town. All too often, the news reminds us of the ugly in society. We are bombarded by crime, accidents and other sad tales. What I love about RiverheadLOCAL is how Denise and Peter go out of their way to also feature good tidings, highlighting how awesome our community can be, if you just take the time to look.
You didn’t have to look very hard to see the news about Miguel Maysonet last Saturday. A Riverhead graduate, Maysonet has been breaking records on the gridiron at SUNY Stony Brook and last weekend, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. As a Giants fan, I can’t say I’ll be rooting for Philly, but I will most certainly be rooting for Miguel!
Also last weekend, we saw the opening of the baseball fields at Calverton. The fields were dedicated to New York Army National Guard Sgt. Jonathan Keller and U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Venetz, both casualties of the war in Afghanistan. The mothers of these heroes threw out the ceremonial first pitches, at each of the two fields, to begin the 2013 Riverhead Little League season.
The Riverhead Blue Masques opened their spring season with a production of Fiddler on the Roof. The students always put their hearts and souls into the performance, and it shows. Families come out in droves to support the actors, and take in a great night of theater.
Two weekends ago, I wrote about a large delivery of compost that was coming to River and Roots Community Garden. To most, this is not really a newsworthy event. And though it is impressive to watch the truck driver maneuver in that small space, looking like he might lose the whole operation to the Peconic River, I have to agree that to the non-gardener, this in not a momentous occasion.
What was momentous, was the outpouring of support and help RRCG received, from our own gardeners and even complete strangers. Twenty cubic yards of compost is nothing to shake a stick at. The mountain of dirt was quite a spectacle. It ran the length of half of the back fence and was about seven or eight feet tall. Oh, and though we knew the delivery was scheduled for sometime on Saturday, we got five minutes notice before the driver actually arrived. Yes, I said five minutes.
And yet, within an hour of the drop, there they were, a large group of gardeners, with shovels and wheelbarrows in hand. Some brought bagels and there was coffee, too. Small children dug with fervor into the huge pile, filling their kid-sized wheelbarrow and working hard alongside mom. At one point, two gentlemen who are not part of RRCG, and didn’t know each other, both pitched in and helped. On a pretty Saturday, they spent hours moving dirt and putting their hearts into Main Street. When asked if they knew someone in the garden, the response was, “No, I just like to help.”
Long Island Compost made the delivery around 9:30 a.m. By 3 p.m., the entire mound was gone, distributed amongst the newly built double beds (which our gardeners had also helped construct just a few weeks prior) and the eroded southern border, which Sandy had wiped out. Volunteers also filled several bags with garbage collected around the garden and playground next door. It so happened that that Saturday was also the Riverhead Town Cleanup Day. Volunteers picked up litter on local streets and in neighborhoods throughout Riverhead, making our town a more beautiful place.
When the bad news starts to bring me down, when I worry so much about my kids that it makes my head hurt, I try to focus on all of these things. I remember the parents who bring their children out to volunteer, walking the walk and being an amazing example. I think about the boy who beat the odds to make it to the NFL. I remember the contagious excitement of young actors getting ready to step on stage. I pray for and say thank you to the brave and selfless men and women (and their families) who put their lives on the line to preserve our freedom, and who pay the ultimate price.
The world is not all bad. This town is not all bad. In fact, there is an abundance of good, of beauty, of hope, determination and dedication, if you just look. There are teachers protecting our kids, volunteer fire fighters and EMS saving our homes and families, residents cleaning up our streets, and people getting involved.
Yes, you can always find bad, and if you look for it, it will surround and engulf you. You all know those people, the ones who can find the negative at every turn. They seek it out, swallow it, and breath it back at us, wallowing in misery. Be the antidote to those people. Find the good and share that instead. Working side by side with the doers, the problem solvers, the hopeful, will fill you with the same optimism. And then you too, will gush all over the good, strong community of Riverhead.
Every community is looking for helpers. Instead of a recipe this week, here’s a brief list of just a tiny portion of organizations looking for volunteers:
Kent Animal Shelter (from the website):
Volunteers are an important part of Kent Animal Shelter, helping to care and provide for the animals and the facility. We offer orientation, training and guidelines to volunteers
to ensure their success. In addition, we try to place volunteers where their talents and interests lie. If you’re interested in becoming a Kent volunteer, please email volunteer@kentanimalshelter.com or call (631) 727-5731.
Maureen’s Haven Homeless Outreach Program:
Call 631-727-6831 or email info@maureenshaven.org to learn more about how you can become involved. You can download an application at http://www.maureenshaven.org/Volunteer_Opportunities.html
Peconic Bay Medical Center:
To volunteer, or for additional information, contact Lynne LaGrua, Director of Volunteer Services, at 631-548-6021. You can find additional information at http://www.pbmchealth.org/support-pbmc/volunteering/
East End Arts (from the website):
When volunteering at East End Arts, you will have the opportunity to help the arts community while meeting like-minded, arts-loving individuals. You can fill out a volunteer application at http://www.eastendarts.org/membership/volunteer/
Riverhead Free Library (from the website):
The Library encourages would-be volunteers to fill out a Volunteer Application and bring it to the Library. Volunteers are assigned to duties such as shelving materials, shifting, re-labeling and more. You can apply at 330 Court Street or call 727-3228 for more information.
Please feel free to add your group to the list or email it to me at laurie@riverheadlocal.com.
Laurie Nigro, co-founder of River and Roots Community Garden, is resides in downtown Riverhead with her husband and their two children.
{loadposition tab1}
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.