W MAY/JUNE 2008
“To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few.” – Emily Dickinson, Poems
elcome . . . MOUNTAIN VIEWS
(Volume V, Issue 3)
The Laurel Mountain Post is a bimonthly publication designed to focus on the people, places and events of Westmoreland County and the surrounding areas in the heart of western Pennsylvania. We print stories about real people and their daily lives; feature local merchants, craftsmen and professionals; present short pieces of art & literature; and never lose sight of what makes this area a great place to call home. Most of our writers are not professional reporters, but accomplished local practitioners with years of experience in their respective fields who bring credibility and personality to every article. In October 2006, the BBC News quoted us as “the voice of Pennsylvania.”
Laurel Mountain Post P.O. Box 227 Latrobe, PA 15650 advertising: 724-331-3936 editorial: 724-689-6133 Office Hours by Appointment at 137 East Main Street in Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Cathi Gerhard Williams Editor & Publisher editor@laurelmountainpost.com
Briana Dwire Tomack Marketing Director & Business Manager advertising@laurelmountainpost.com Proud members of the Latrobe, Ligonier, and Strongland Chambers of Commerce, The Pittsburgh Advertising Federation, and The Pennsylvania Newspaper Assocation Special thanks to our advertisers for supporting this community publication!
www.LaurelMountainPost.com
Our distribution of 15,000 reaches beyond Westmoreland County into the neighboring counties of Allegheny, Washington, Armstrong, Bedford, Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Fayette. In 2006 our web traffic increased by 53% and continues to grow. Every day, more and more readers and advertisers across western Pennsylvania are discovering the Laurel Mountain Post.
Every Story Begins At Home.
Cathi Gerhard Williams
Buzz Words There are lots of buzz words – every industry has them. They are overused, trite, and usually insincere. But people use these words and phrases because they are easy – and expected. Buzz words are the most direct way to prove our intelligence, demonstrate our hip factor, and most importantly, impress others. However, they also reveal our tendency to hide behind safe walls built strong and high from years of insecurity. It takes courage to reveal our true opinions and knowledge: less to offer criticism and even more to actually say something nice. And mean it. I always hated the girls who complimented everyone’s hair or clothes each day in junior high school. It seemed like they were just fishing for an INSINCERE compliment in return. I would rather say nothing than something false. I thought it added extra value to the things I DID eventually say. Instead, most people thought I was just cold and disinterested. The point I missed was in trying to find something positive in every situation. That takes effort, as well as enthusiasm. Sometimes the key to successful uses of buzz is to identify the previously unacknowledged or overlooked aspect of a subject. Take the time to look beyond the obvious. As usual, I have a multiple meanings in my use of the phrase “buzz words.” First and foremost there is our founding belief behind the Laurel Mountain Post: to tell the best possible stories about the heart of western Pennsylvania. There is something wonderful and
interesting about every one of you out there! It might sound corny to say that we are your cheerleaders, but it’s true . . . we don’t even have to be drunk or sedated before surgery to say, “I love you, man!”
editor@LaurelMountainPost.com
Cathi Gerhard Williams Briana Dwire Tomack advertising@LaurelMountainPost.com
In other words, no buzz required. We love you just the way you are, to quote Billy Joel.
The other tune for this particular piano forte is quite literally “bees.” The kind that buzz and sometimes sting; the kind that were busy doing their jobs behind us in the lilacs and rhododendrons as we posed for this issue’s page three portraits. It’s that time of year when they are busy doing their jobs - no matter how inconvenient we might find them. They are dependable, and most importantly, fruitful. Their intense efforts yield countless things we take for granted. It is so easy to yell and swat when they get in our way, and yet so hard to say “thank-you” for the honey that sweetens our tea and the apples trees they pollinate. By the time fall arrives, we forget all about their hard work months earlier. It’s hard to see something if it isn’t right in front of us. That’s where the effort comes back, in the form of a pause or consideration. There are times we have to close our eyes to see . . . to focus on what’s important, and remember things we can’t live without. So much happens “behind the scenes” in our tiny little world view. Bees may be small, but humans can be even smaller in their selfish thinking. What are my personal buzz words? I think I have to go with: appraise, appreciate and acknowledge. All good stories have to be found and then told in order to be heard. And, usually, they all begin at home.
May/June 2008 - 3