Collecting for Big Ed

Passing through Tracy City today, I had an insignificant extraordinary experience.  Each of the two “major” intersections was dominated with people carrying large signs collecting money to help a friend and family member, Big Ed, with his extraordinary medical bills.
I’m not unaccustomed to the fire department or other organizations collecting for various high profile causes, but this is the first I had encountered individuals publicly going out of their way to help individuals in need.  I was struck by the simple goodness of this act of caring.
I stopped to take pictures and learned that this kind of action on behalf of loved ones is quite common on the mountain.
So simple, yet so amazing that I have never seen this anywhere else I have lived.  I love the culture and the people who live here!  The mountain is beginning to be recognized for its unparalleled natural beauty.  But the mountain’s people are a treasure of even greater value that remains undiscovered and unappreciated.

I hope the people who move to the village can catch the spirit of the local folks.