Thank God we live in Tryon.

(Or Landrum, Columbus, Saluda, Mills Spring, Green Creek, etc., you know what I mean.)

Here’s some unsolicited advice: don’t watch the news and stay off of Facebook. Unless you are a grandparent, looking at pictures of your kids and grandkids, that’s encouraged! I’m amazed at the amount of time I spend/waste watching other people live their lives. If I stopped looking at my phone and the TV for a few minutes, I might actually be reminded of all the good stuff that happens right here at home. When I do turn on the news, it’s the same death, disaster and dysfunction, just on a different day.

Here’s a bit of good news from right here in Paradise: Fall is here which means don’t leave or you’ll miss 19 different events happening simultaneously. What a great time to be here!

On a recent Tuesday afternoon while on dad duty, I asked the kids what they wanted to do.

“Library!” my 6-year old exclaimed.

“Which one?” I shouted back. “Stairs or Lanier?” (Stairs is shorthand for Polk County Library, since you have to go down stairs to get to the kids section.)

“Lanier!”

Could it be because they have free chocolate at the Lanier Library? Not relevant, let’s just celebrate the fact that a kid wants to go to the library and not Chuck E. Cheese’s!

So we walked from the train depot/my office up that dang steep hill to the Lanier Library. We were met at the door by the director, Amber, who was getting ready to close the doors for the day. It was 4:30 p.m., after all.

Then she asked, with a little grin, “What is it that you are coming in for?”

I told her we heard about the new kids section and wanted to come check it out. (As an aside, the Lanier Library has something for everyone and we love their expanded kids section.)

She said, “Come on in, we have a program committee meeting at 5 p.m. but you guys can stay until then.”

So, we bounded in, hit the M&M tower, and made our way to the new kids room. All of this after closing time. Without this small act of kindness, this scene of my two children, at left, would not have happened, and nor would the visit to that M&M tower.

Where else on planet Earth does this happen?  Nowhereville, that’s where.