Ring that bell! – June 7, 2018

On June 7th you may have heard the sound of the Meeting House bell ring throughout the hill, and perhaps beyond.  The annual history tour for third graders at Effingham Elementary School wound up with each student having the chance to ring the bell.  Eric Potter and Erik Jones once again led students through the many stations of historic Effingham.

It was perhaps also a chance for the rest of us in earshot to ponder a time when the peal of a bell carried information to the neighborhood.   Whether confirming the start of a known event or announcing urgent news, our Paul Revere bell has served to connect inhabitants of the village to its ongoing story.

We are beset by tones and beeps of all sorts these days.   They are all contrived to serve a need, but they are so ubiquitous and impersonal that we are numbed in contrast to the unique and richly compelling sound (and feel) of a bell resonating obediently with the message of the human tethered to its grasp below.