I confess to being discouraged by the turn of events in our nation this autumn, but it’s made me even more grateful for things close to home. I have a long list, but here are a few in no particular order:

• The beauty of our landscape — I’ve been out on the ski trails at Rikert this last week (new director Justin Beckwith and his team are doing a truly impressive job) and, at least until this week’s washout, it’s been such a lovely early winter.

• The health of our local economy. For those of us in Ripton, that’s personified by the Ripton Country Store, and consider this a reminder that we all should do as much of our shopping as we can there, so that we never lose the hub of our town

• The college, and especially its departing president. I’ve spent a lot of time on campuses around the world, and I’ve never seen a leader impress her vision on a community more effectively than Laurie Patton; we’re all lucky to have had someone so savvy, so committed, and so effective in that crucial role

• This newspaper. Because I’ve spent my life as a journalist, I’m painfully aware of how the media has collapsed around America; most places people have to rely on Facebook posts and the like for some sense of what’s happening. We take the Indy for granted, but we shouldn’t — sign up to support it!

I think it’s possible that America is going to go through a difficult stretch in the years ahead; all the more important that we take care of our own beloved community even as we try to extend Vermont ideals into the larger world!

Bill McKibben

Ripton