Sometimes, I get to witness something that is much larger than what it appears to be. The burned-out hulk of the historic Bedlam Corners General Store – it inspired the name of my farm – has been sitting at the center of town for two years, falling apart, inhabited by pigeons, rotted by rain, snow and wind, exposed to the world, an open sore at the heart of a community. This is literally a festering sore. The store has been the center of the community forever, and the center of the community is now an ugly 150 year-old heartbreak.

In this town, as in many rural towns, government is rarely seen or heard, and doesn’t do much. The store just seemed to be falling apart a bit more each day.  The local culture seems to prize being left alone as much as anything else. Thom and Linda Janidlo passed by the store the same as the rest of us, but they couldn’t sit idle any longer and organized an impromptu meeting last week. I thought they were naive, ridiculous, really. The damage was so great, the community so disconnected from it, it just seemed impossible.

But it did not seem that way today. More than a score of people showed up, bringing drills, shovels, tools, food. They shoveled dirt, pigeon droppings, debris. They hauled away a half dozen dumpster loads of trash, boarded up open windows, pried open doors. They worked for hours, quietly, without a moment’s complaint or difficulty. Everyone seemed to know what to do, shared the work, divided responsibility, wanted to do more. Did more.

These were quiet people, not used to being photographed, not interested in talking much or taking credit. They just worked for hours in the hot and sticky sun. I spent much of the day with them, and was touched and moved. Watching them haul things around while I took photos, I felt guilty, as I sometimes do. But when I saw the photos, I was glad it was recorded. I was doing my own work. The meaning of grass roots, I think, a reminder of the great American notion: see what the individual can do. Congratulations, Thom and Linda. You did more than you know. Album going up on Facebook.