Opinion : The Norman Rockwell kind of pride in Vinton

"We were humbled," wrote a colleague last week, by the tremendous response to Vinton Today that has already required us to increase the size of our server.

I hate to disagree with a colleague – particularly one to whom I am married – but I have had a different reaction to the enthusiastic response we have received here at Vinton Today.

I let it go straight to my head.

I will say it: I am proud of what we have done, and are doing every day, here at Vinton Today.

I think – and I hope – that what I am feeling is not the “pride goeth before destruction” kind of proud that Solomon told us to avoid.

I think – and I hope – that it’s a Norman Rockwell kind of proud.

“There was a big crash, but then the country picked itself up again, and we had some great years. Those were the days when American believed in itself. I was happy and proud to be painting it,” said the famous painter of the Great Depression, and our country’s response to that difficult time.

I think we can say the same thing about our town: These are days when Vinton believes in itself. We are happy and proud to be capturing it, not with a brush, but with our photos and our stories.

We think, and we hope, that our pride in Vinton Today is similar to that experienced by U.S. Grant.

 At the end of the Civil War, when Union citizens were chanting “U.S. Army! U.S. Navy. U.S. Grant!” the famous General said that all of the noise about him was actually a tribute to America.

“I appreciate the fact, and am proud of it,” he said. “that the attentions I am receiving are intended more for our country than for me personally.”

And all of the attention we have received at Vinton Today – the amazing comments from some of our 600 fans on Facebook; the hundreds of people who subscribe to our daily email; the thousands of page views we see every day – all of that is intended more for Vinton than for us personally.

That’s because Vinton Today is quite literally about Vinton, today.

While I do some of the writing, and much of the photography, Vinton Today is not about me or any one individual. It's about Vinton. And I, and all of us at Vinton Today, hope you all will keep sharing your stories with us about Vinton's past and present.

And all of you who have supported us by reading, subscribing, sponsoring or telling others about us are the reason we can keep people from our town, and beyond in touch with Vinton, tomorrow.  

READER COMMENTS:

I read you article about the Norman Rockwell similarities that Vinton has shown. I am a Vinton native that has lived in Amarillo, TX for the last 20+ years. I moved from there as a pre-teen when my parents had to look for work when the ham plant closed. I constantly miss Vinton and when I tell friends here stories of my upbringing in my hometown, they tell me it sounds like something out of Mayberry!! I can see where they would see it that way and I am flattered by the reference to such an idyllic setting. I still have alot of family there and thru talking to them and pictures from home, it looks like VInton is changing for the better by taking pride in its past. My sister recently visited Vinton and her husband who is from Colorado said that it was one of the prettiest towns he had ever seen! It makes me proud to say where I am from and I am happy that Vinton is thriving again. Congrats on the new Vinton Today venture and I will keep looking forward to the updates in my email box!