Reader TTS

Having spent the first 47 years of my life in the cities and major suburbs of Detroit and Richmond, Virginia, I didn’t get my first glimpse of the small-town work ethic until 2010. That was

the year I graduated from seminary in Richmond and accepted my first call to pastor at a small country church in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. One morning, I received a phone

call that one of our oldest church members, Eva, had been taken to the emergency room after becoming lightheaded. As I passed Eva’s house a few hours later on my way to pay her a visit at

the hospital, I was shocked to find her on a tractor mowing her rather expansive lawn. I pulled in her driveway, and after a hug, I inquired why she was out mowing. Surely the doctor must

have ordered bed rest for the discharged patient. _You can subscribe here to AARP Experience Counts, a free e-newsletter published twice a month. If you have feedback or a story idea then

please contact us here._ Eva smiled and said, “Pastor, because it needs to get done — that’s why!” That was the moment the small-town work ethic first captured my awareness and spirit. While

you can find plenty of great service providers in big cities, small-town residents run their businesses in much the same way they live their lives. Farming duties, church responsibilities

and community support networks all require diligence, care and confidence in the people you encounter every week. I rediscovered this lesson in 2017, when my wife and I purchased an old home

in Lenawee County, Michigan, 25 miles from Ann Arbor and far from the Shenandoah Valley. Here are some examples of the same ethics we encountered getting to know local business owners: 1.

REPUTATION IS GOLDEN I still remember the day Matt came to pump our septic tank. When the doorbell rang, he told us that our ancient tank cover was broken. We paid him for his work, then my

wife, Dawn, went to the store Matt recommended to buy the replacement cover. We soon realized that we had neither the tools nor the expertise to fix it properly. We telephoned Matt, and he

immediately came back out. Two hours later, he had the new septic cover cut to size and installed correctly. I pulled out my checkbook to pay him for his extra time. Matt stopped me and

said, “Keith, I don’t want any more money — please, just tell other folks about my company.”