“We speak of searching for happiness, of finding contentment, as if these were locations on an atlas, actual places that we could visit if only we had the proper map and the right navigational skills” – Melody Warnick, author of This is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are.”
Plymouth is home to over 10,000 Hoosiers, but how many of us are attached to the county seat of Marshall County? Do you love where you live? Do you feel like you belong here?
Place attachment is a concept that suggests an affectionate, almost familial connection that forms between people and the place where they live. Have you ever driven past a “Welcome to (insert the name of your city)” and thought It’s good to be home? That’s a result of place attachment.
Are you attached to Plymouth? Have you ever walked around the city and spent time admiring every detail? Do you participate in take advantage of River Park Square or Centennial Park? Have you ever walked into one of the local businesses along Michigan Street and purchased something?
One Book, One City (OBOC) invites all Plymouth citizens to explore the city where they live and attain some level of place attachment. Supporting and participating in the betterment of where you’re living will increase your quality of life.
During the month of June, OBOC is planning events to accomplish the following:
• Allow people to experience Plymouth in a new and interactive way.
• Create a sense of belonging for all community members.
• Open networking opportunities for local businesses and organizations.
• Encourage economic growth for our local merchants.
The series of events will culminate in the P-Town Block Party at the end of June. We hope that everyone will come and celebrate their city and what makes it home in this block party!
The theme of the 2021 One Book, One City is This is Where You Belong, based on the book This is Where You Belong, by Melody Warnick. Melody had moved to Blacksburg, Virginia, but soon found herself not loving where she lived. In order to fix that, she performed a series of “Love Where You Live experiments.” The purpose of the experiments was to solidify an affectionate bond of place attachment so that Melody could be rewarded with the benefits of loving where you live.
“If my hypothesis wasn’t completely off base, by acting like someone who loved Blacksburg, I would actually start to attach to Blacksburg. By sheer force of will, I would belong where I lived, enough to want to stay put, at least for a while,” she writes.
Hopefully, by the end of June, you too will love where you live.
The One Book, One City Committee is comprised of members of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, Marshall County Tourism, Marshall County Museum and Historical Society, Plymouth Park and Recreation Department, Heartland Artists Gallery, the Plymouth Public Library, and the Pilot News.
For more information about One Book, One City and all of the events that are going to be held, visit the Facebook Page @PlymouthOneBookOneCity.
