Peace and tranquility

Just returned from attending the last North Fork Church Service of the year. I am not a regular member of the 20-plus congregation, but I support their dedication to each other and the community.

I also admire the dedication of Don and Sue Sullivan, who have conducted services at Sondreson Hall free of charge, no collection taken, for the last several years. The Sullivans spend hours each week preparing a diverse service designed to be ecumenical in nature and is thus proper for all Christian Churches. We have many different viewpoints on the North Fork.

In addition to Christians, we also have atheists, and probably other religions among us. They, too, could use the Community Hall if their meetings are open to everyone. I would attend some of their meetings too. Not because I agree or disagree with their opinions, but to learn about their beliefs.

Everyone wants peace and tranquility in their day-to-day lives. Same thing in their various countries and for the world in general. For thousands of years, people have wanted peace and tranquility and we have fought several wars to “end all wars,” all to no avail.

Maybe it is just me, but my observation is that most folks believe we would have peace and tranquility if only those “other groups” would adopt our values so we could all live in harmony. It ain’t gonna happen.

On the North Fork, we get along by disagreeing without being disagreeable, for the most part.

If our neighbors act within the law we pretty much let them. If we are annoyed by our neighbors, we have found it is more effective to talk with our neighbor, not call a lawyer. Usually, we can work out differences over a cup of coffee or a beer. If we don’t get everything we want, we stop and reflect on how much we enjoy the special area and the special folks who live here — and who, for the most part, share many of our values.

We all wonder why there are fewer bear sightings this summer. Perennial champ Gary McDonough has seen only two. I have seen six, but none since June. Only perennial tail dragger Becky Braunig has seen 10 or more among the folks I have talked to.

Why have porcupines virtually disappeared from the North Fork? Why do the gophers disappear in mid-August instead of waiting for the first hard frost? Why are we now seeing more turkeys and turkey buzzards than ever before?

Maybe, if the rest of the world concentrated on important questions like we do, we would have more peace and tranquility, not to mention more tolerance for others.

What do you think?

Larry Wilson’s North Fork Views appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.