In the days ahead you will be hearing a rumor that should be spread. Someone will say to you, “Have you heard about the Heart and Soul thing that's happening in Rockland?” Frankly, you might sigh, ‘what could be good about something with such a stupid name?’

The little I know is this: It is a two-year community process that seeks to capture the complete voice of Rockland's people. The process involves maybe potluck suppers, block parties, drinking coffee and talking, definitely interviews, and definitely the processing the accumulated shares into a vision that the whole community was in on. How that cake is baked is a mystery to me, but that's the beauty of it. I don't need to know. I just say OK and hope you do, too. Rockland agrees to help Heart and Soul and Rockland hears itself speak from the harbor up to Dodge's Mountain.

The Orton Family Foundation created this blueprint for organic community change and it works. There are no leaders as such, but it has, by nonprofit law, a core board of volunteers to account for any and all money.

Cardinal rule is: No part of Rockland is to be left out. This means everybody, not just Main Street, not just registered voters, not just property owners. Everyone.

Heart and Soul needs everyone's opinion on what what you love, what you value, what you want for the future. This program has happened in a dozen or more cities like Rockland and has reaped for them, a cohesive broad based direction and purpose. Don't you just know that this day could arrive that we, the people of Rockland, could speak for what we are and what we want to be ? It's free. Heart and Soul, the powerful community action with the really dumb name.

Debby Atwell lives in Rockland