Denton County Living Well Magazine Winter 2014 | Page 17

THE GOODNESS IN A SIMPLE LIFE
By Dale Kimble

I

wonder how many of us take the time to sit back and lament upon the virtues of a simple life. Likely it will
depend upon where you grew up or your age. I’ve been reflecting upon that myself more recently. The
catalyst was a recent trip my wife and I took to Parma, Ohio, where we visited with our son and his family as
they had relocated there this summer. It was our first visit to this quiet, sleepy community which is the largest suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Especially interesting to me was the fact that it is home to a diverse immigrant
population and has been frequently ranked as one of the nation’s safest cities.
Surprisingly, I felt like I had traveled
back in time. During our visit, we
experienced contact with many
businesses that were decades old
– some having served the community for forty plus years; small proprietorships had been operated by
the same family for multiple generations. We found the tree-lined,
tight-knit blue collar neighborhoods of Parma to be made up of
gracious and simple people who
had often lived in the same home
for decades. As I had the opportunity to relax and casually chat with
these folks, it became apparent to
me that this was a community of
people where one could easily fit
right in. It’s a place where family
and friends lend a helping hand; a
place where you were met with a
smile and addressed by name. A
warm handshake, hug, and friendly greeting were the rule instead of
the exception. There was an almost
immediate sense of belonging because the essence and beauty of
Parma came from the people.

CAN YOU REMEMBER
SUCH A FEELING OF
COMMUNITY ...

perhaps from your youth? It appears to me that we get so caught
up in the hustle and bustle of life
that we forget that simple is good
and often yields a better qual-

ity of life. So frequently it becomes
about the house, the car, the job,
the kids’ sporting activities and the
next vacation spot. Yes, those are
a part of our everyday existence,
but are they consuming our life?
Are we taking the time to enjoy the
simple things or as that old cliché
says, “taking time to smell the roses”? “More” (materially speaking)
is not always better.
On this mini vacation,

I was drawn to the

goodness

of these people.

You know what … there is much
good around us right here in our
own communities, but I suspect
sometimes things get so chaotic
with life that we fail to notice. Think
about your neighbors. Do you even
know them or speak with them regularly? What about all of the family
businesses within your community,
the nonprofits that are working diligently to make life better for those
in need, or the dedication and
work being done by our amazing educators who teach our children? I encourage you to seek out
and look for the best in people, to
patronize those businesses and retail establishments that give back
and enhance lives within your town
or communi