Makers Mark and Small Towns

Feel the need to get normal after this insane election? One drink manufacturer has an excellent solution.  

I have recently joined Twitter, and in trying to find my way around the platform, I happened across an interesting campaign. Makers Mark Bourbon has asked for people to identify their small town as being worthy of free Christmas decorations. A look at the short descriptions from the towns who are vying for the prize is a great way to improve your day.  

It really ought to go further than just Christmas decorations. Clearly some people just love the ambience of living in the heart of New York, Boston, Los Angeles or DC, but the people who live in these towns enjoy a different vibration.  

A year ago Architectural Digest did a piece on the 25 best small towns in America. They didn’t say how they picked them except they were looking for the “prettiest.” Look up small towns online and you can find ones that are the best to visit, the most beautiful, coolest, most charming, and so forth. I can’t be sure, but I think the people entering the Makers Mark contest had a little more in mind. Maybe it was a place that was quaint, or had a sense of community where people know each other, are polite or look out for one another.  

In 1942, Harper & Brothers published The Small Community: Foundation of Democratic Life by Arthur E. Morgan. He described the ancient village as “a closely organized association of people who lived and worked together for the common ends, with mutual good will, respect, and tolerance, sharing dangers and hopes.” He went on to say “The roots of civilization are elemental traits-good will, neighborliness, fair play, courage, tolerance, open-minded inquiry patience. A people rich in these qualities will develop a great civilization, with great art, science, industry, government.”  

When I read social media these days with it’s unrelenting hostility and see carnage in some of our large cities, I wonder how many of the people so engaged are coming from some of those same small towns who are vying to have Makers Mark decorate their hometown?

There are a lot of great entries but here’s a small sample:

Another city that should be considered (but hasn’t entered) is Grand Rapids, Michigan (population 200,217). They were worried about their town being one of America’s dying cities so they did this:

You have to love towns that will do something like that. And a sense of community is something we desperately need amidst all this political turmoil. So please enjoy a heartwarming little corner of the Twitter world.

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