Am I John Galt?

An article about the Village appeared on Huffington Post about a year ago.   Yesterday, I happened to revisit it and found a number of appended comments.  Most were surprisingly angry and critical.  I was at once both amused and troubled.  On this site, having formerly been an executive is apparently an unredeemable sin.  I was also accused of having spread the disease of American fast food.  Of both charges, I plead guilty.  I trust in Christ for a redemption of my sins whether in or outside of that role, but I hardly believe the role itself to be damning.   On the other hand, I was mildly amused at the self-righteous, hypocritical tone of those who castigate the food industry.  I say, “who among you”, especially in the liberal New England home of Dunkin’ Donuts, “has never partaken of the forbidden fruit?   Let him cast the first stone.”  Not to mention pancakes, ice cream or pizza, for which I also stand double guilty as accused and to which I will probably remain addicted until my dieing day. 

One comment suggested I was a Galt.   “Who is John Galt?” is the iconic line from Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.   And so I echo the words of the apostles at the last supper, “Is it I, Lord?” 

I think not.  But then again, there are elements. . .  

Galt calls for a strike against socialist collectivisim. He makes a stand for creative, productive people vs. the “entitled”, indolent masses.  I call for cooperation and (quasi-socialist, that’s voluntary) sharing within a community of independent, self-sufficient, yet selfless, caring people. 
Galt calls for enlightened selfishness with perhaps a subtext of entitlement to luxury and materialism.  I call for people to live a simpler life, voluntarily sharing their wealth with others, including the wealth of nature and the wealth of their knowledge and intellect while enjoying the fruits of both mental and physical labor.   Our town is not gated, however, as we seek to include the local folks within our circle of self-sufficient friends and benefit from their local know-how.  Nor is it an exclusive enclave for the wealthy.

On the other hand, Galt does call for people of extraordinary talent, education, creativity and resourcefulness to band together to enhance their lives and so do I.

And Galt sets up a community for like-minded, creative people known as “Galt’s Gulch,” a town secluded in a Colorado mountain valley.  Hmmm, the Village is built on the Cumberland Plateau, locally called “the Mountain” and Sewanee Creek runs through the Valley we own.  Perhaps, in some respects, I’m galty as accused, and for these “sins” I hope to become a little more galty by association.